


My Kitsune Love

by koi_choshi



Category: Arashi (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Fantasy, Japanese Mythology & Folklore, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-01
Updated: 2017-01-01
Packaged: 2018-09-13 22:11:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 19,212
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9144415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/koi_choshi/pseuds/koi_choshi
Summary: Ohno Satoshi was an ordinary human being who found a glowing ball by the temple of Inari Okami. It was owned by a kitsune named Aiba. And as a reward, Aiba  would have to grant Ohno's heart's true wish. Would the kitsune be able to grant the wish and gain his ninth tail?





	1. Hoshi no Tama

**Author's Note:**

> This story is posted as is. Please forgive errors. 
> 
> Originally finished on 20 January 2012

“Remember, Aiba, don’t ever let go of that hoshi no tama (star ball),” Sho reminded.  
   
“Hai,” Aiba answered, throwing the ball midair and catching it with his ethereal white tails.  
   
“You must bring that to the east, where the people need its power. They need that in order to have a good harvest. The Inari Okami is counting on you,” the elder kitsune said.  
   
Sho was a very wise kitsune, one of the first who had served the kami. He already had his ninth tail, waving gracefully behind him as he perched on top of a post in the temple for their deity.  
   
“Sho-chan, when will I have my ninth tail?” Aiba asked as he swished his tails to count them.  
   
The elder snorted. “Well, you can have it after you have become wiser,” he said.  
   
Aiba smiled. “I hope I can get it soon!” he said happily. “Well, maybe after I finish this mission, I would be able to get it soon, ne?”  
   
“Well, maybe,” Sho answered. “You go now, Aiba-chan. The people need you.”  
   
Aiba ran swiftly throughout the darkness of the forest, his white fur glowing like the moon, the ball, now on his mouth, glowing as brighter as ever. He realized that he was at the end of the forest park of the temple and he was about to cross the city of humans.  
   
“What should I do?” the fox said. He remembered a recent magic that he had learned from Sho. Closing his eyes for a moment, he swiftly transformed to a tall man.  
   
“I guess this is better,” holding the ball tightly in his hand. As he stepped out of the park, however, a woman suddenly shrieked.  
   
“Ahh! A naked man is in the park! Pervert! Pervert!” she shouted, running towards a police man who was biking towards the other corner.  
   
“What does she mean?” Aiba asked himself confused. He almost jumped when someone tapped him on the shoulder.  
   
***  
   
Ohno Satoshi was a company employee, making his way home after a tiring overtime. His friend, Matsumoto Jun, had asked him to go to a nearby udon stand but he just took out a bowl of noodles since he was too tired and he wanted to go home.  
   
“Ahh! A naked man is in the park! Pervert! Pervert!” he heard someone shout as he walked sleepily towards the corner where his apartment was, just across the temple of Inari.  
   
He saw the man who hid behind the tree. He decided to approach him. “WAAHH!” he shouted as he saw Ohno, falling to the ground. The shorter man blushed as he saw the man’s private parts.  
   
“Anou… wear this,” he said, holding out his coat. It was a bit cold and the coat was Ohno’s only protection from the weather. The man looked confused so he threw it over him. “You’re going to catch a cold and the police will catch you if you’re naked, you see.”  
   
“Ah, sou ka,” the man said. “Arigatou.” He put on the coat, confused on how to wear it. Ohno interpreted him as some mountain man who did not know how to wear clothes. He laughed a little.  
   
“What’s so funny?” he asked with a pout.  
   
“No…nothing,” Ohno replied. “Where did you come from?”  
   
“Come from?” Aiba thought hard. “I… I fell from that tree!” he lied.  
   
“Did robbers take your clothes?” he asked kindly. “You can come with me if you want. My apartment’s just there, I can give you clothes.”  
   
“I’m very grateful,” Aiba replied. Wearing the coat tightly, he emerged from the bushes.  
   
Ohno was about to go out of the temple boundaries when he saw something glowing from the bushes. He picked up the hoshi no tama and pocketed it, thinking that it must be something precious.  
   
When the two of the reached the apartment, Aiba said, “It’s too dark.”  
   
“Please wait,” Ohno said as he touched the wall, looking for the switch. When he turned the lights on, Aiba clapped.  
   
“That’s magic!” he praised. “Are you a kami too?” he asked.  
   
“What are you talking about?” Ohno asked. He was already thinking if this man was insane. “By the way, my name is Ohno. What’s yours?”  
   
“Aiba desu,” he answered. Ohno proceeded to his small room to take some clothes for the visitor. After a few minutes of helping him get dressed, Aiba was finally able to sit in front of the kotatsu.  
   
“Ah,” Ohno replied. He took out the food and placed it on the low table. “Here’s my dinner for today. I’m sorry if we’ll just share.”  
   
“Aburage!” Aiba exclaimed, taking the sliced tofu from the plate with his chopsticks.  
   
“Do you like aburage?” Ohno asked.  
   
Aiba nodded as he munched. “You can eat all of that, Ohno-san. I’ll just eat the aburage.”  
   
After dinner, Ohno washed the dishes and let Aiba just sit in the small living room. He changed to his pajamas and laid two futon, one for him and one for Aiba. They were separated by the sliding door that was between the living room and Ohno’s bedroom.  
   
Before Aiba slept, he suddenly remembered. “Oh no! I lost the hoshi no tama!” he exclaimed to himself. He sat up and prayed. “Inari okami, please forgive me. I’m going to look for it.  
   
He silently went out of the apartment and looked at the park by the temple where he hid earlier. It wasn’t there. “Where is it?” he cried, thinking about the poor farmers and the fields. “I failed you, poor people of the east,” he cried.  
   
He was surprised when a white furry ball came towards him. It was his wise friend, Sho. “Aiba-chan, why are you crying?” he asked.  
   
“I lost the hoshi no tama after I transformed into a human!” he said. “Now I don’t have the ability to go back into a fox! And those poor people whom I should give it too!”  
   
“D-don’t worry, ne?” Sho tried to reassure him. “We’ll definitely find it. I’ll go look for it here in the forest. You don’t have the power to look for it here in the dark. For the mean time, you go back to that human’s place. I have a feeling that he’ll be able to help you live here as a human while we’re looking for the ball.”  
   
“Yes, Ohno-san helped me with his own free will…”  
   
“Yes, and that aid will make you grateful to him forever,” Sho replied.  
   
“Wakarimashita,” Aiba replied, wiping his tears. “I’ll see you later, Sho-chan.”  
   
Sho let one of his tail touch Aiba’s cheek momentarily before he disappeared. Aiba returned to the apartment. He was quite surprised when he saw something glowing in Ohno’s bedroom. When he opened the sliding door, he was surprised to see his magical hoshi no tama on the hands of Ohno. He must have fallen asleep looking at it.  
   
“Please give me back my ball!” Aiba pleaded, bowing low in front of the sleeping Ohno. The sudden noise woke him up and he looked confused.  
   
“What?”  
   
Aiba was already crying. “Please return the hoshi no tama to me, Ohno-san,” he pleaded again.  
   
Ohno, confused at what was happening, said, “I… I don’t know what you’re saying.  
   
Aiba sighed in despair, misinterpreting Ohno’s confusion as a refusal to give his precious object. “All right, you've got the ball, but you don't know how to keep it. It won't be any good to you. For me, it's a terrible loss. I tell you, if you don't give it back, I'll be your enemy forever. If you do give it back though, I'll stick to you like a protector god. I’ll grant you any wish!” He bowed low again.  
   
Ohno stood up and pulled the tall man up. “I don’t know what you’re saying, Aiba-san. Are you talking about this ball?” he asked, holding the glowing ball up. “Is this yours?”  
   
“Yes… yes…. Please give it to me,” he said.  
   
Ohno gave it to him. The tall man hugged it tightly. “Yokatta…” He suddenly stopped cuddling the ball when he remembered his promise. “Anou… what about your wish, Ohno-san?”  
   
“Wish?” Ohno repeated. “Aiba-san, I don’t know but, do you need to go to a hospital or something?”  
   
“I’m a kitsune,” the man admitted. “And this hoshi no tama is very precious to me. I am grateful you returned it. So I have to grant you a wish.”  
   
“Seriously, Aiba-san…”  
   
“One wish only!” he replied stubbornly. “Please! I won’t stop bugging you if you don’t give me a wish!”  
   
“Fine. Fine!” the shorter guy said. “Stay with me!” he said out of the blue.  
   
The hoshi no tama glowed very bright that Ohno needed to shield his eyes with his hands. It hovered between them and a woman’s voice said, “To your kindness I and my kitsune are eternally grateful.”  
   
The glow disappeared and when Ohno looked around the room, it was silent and Aiba was not around.   



	2. Hoshi no Tama

**Summary for the Chapter:**

>  Ohno Satoshi was an ordinary human being who found a glowing ball by the temple of Inari Okami. It was owned by a kitsune named Aiba. And as a reward, Aiba  would have to grant Ohno's heart's true wish. Would the kitsune be able to grant the wish and gain his ninth tail?

“Inari Okami!” Aiba said, bowing, his tails lifting up. The kami was steadying the hovering ball between her hands.  
   
“Okaeri, Aiba-chan,” she said, smiling. She walked down from her pedestal, her pink kimono flowing behind her. “I see that you’ve almost lost a hoshi no tama. Your hoshi no tama.”  
   
“Hontou ni gomenasai,” he apologized. The kami patted his white fur as she let it hover in front of him.  
   
The goddess went towards the window. “I’ve already sent Nino-chan to the east to give a hoshi no tama to the people,” she said, knowing that the affectionate kitsune was thinking about them.  “But, Aiba-chan, you promised a wish to that poor man who found your ball,” she said.  
   
“He wished for me to stay by his side,” Aiba repeated. “Would that be possible, Inari okami?”  
   
The goddess nodded. “Of course.”  
   
“How long?”  
   
“Until he doesn’t feel alone,” the goddess replied. “Aiba-chan, I don’t think you’re wise enough.” She frowned. “Didn’t you hear what his heart really wished for?”  
   
Inari waved her hand and Ohno’s voice was heard.    
   
 _“Stay with me!”_ the voice said.  
   
“Listen very well, my dear kitsune,” the kami said. “Listen with your heart.”  
   
“I… I don’t want to be… alone…” Aiba repeated as he heard Ohno’s heart. “That was his wish?”  
   
“Yes, and as a kitsune, as a reward of the return of your hoshi no tama, you’re going to stay with him.” She pursed her lips for a while as she thought for a bit. “Just remember our rules, ne?”  
   
“Hai!” he said. The hoshi no tama floated in front of him and glowed brightly.  
   
“Take care of your hoshi no tama. When you’re in your human form, you cannot use your powers without it. We’ll talk to you using this powerful object. Take care of it very well,” he heard the goddess’ voice as he felt himself transport to Ohno’s shabby apartment.  
   
When the fox disappeared, the goddess looked at the front door as a furry ball went towards her. “Nino-chan, you’re back so early,” she said.  
   
He looked worried as he uncurled to his fox form. “You said Aiba-chan’s going to stay with a human?” he said in worry.  
   
The goddess smiled. “Yes. That was as promised.”  
   
“But why don’t we just give treasures to this human?” the fox asked.  
   
The goddess looked at the full moon. “Nino-chan, you wouldn’t understand. This might be the chance for Aiba-chan to gain his ninth tail. He would surely learn from the human world.”  
   
“But… for how long?”  
   
“It depends on how he will fulfill Ohno-san’s wishes,” the kami replied.  
   
***  
   
“I guess everything’s just a dream,” Ohno said sadly as he woke up. However, he was surprised when he saw the second futon on the living room.  “I must be going crazy.” He looked at the Inari shrine through his window. “Kami-sama, please don’t make me insane,” he prayed.  
   
There was a knock on the door. “Hai!” he said as he ran towards it.  
   
“Ohayou, Ohno-san!” Aiba said, making Ohno jump. He saw the weird man once again, holding the glowing ball in his hand. “I’ve come here to grant your wish.”  
   
“What? But… that was just a dream!” he pinched himself and closed his eyes. However, as he opened them, he still saw Aiba on his doorstep.  
   
“No, this is not a dream. Inari Okami sent me here to grant your wish! I am so grateful you returned my hoshi no tama to me!” Aiba said happily.  
   
“Oh… okay,” Ohno said disbelievingly. He was still skeptical. “Maybe you need some coffee and breakfast, Aiba-san,” he just said, letting the man in. Aiba, thinking that the human believed him already, gratefully entered.  
   
Ohno gave the man some bread and coffee and he sat across him.  
   
“How does… how does one eat this?” Aiba asked. He dipped his hand on the hot cup of coffee and shrieked; it was scalding hot.  
   
“Aiba-san!” Ohno ran towards him to the rescue. He blew the finger and let Aiba dip it in a glass of water. “Never do that again, will you? Did you came from a mountain or something?”  
   
“I came from that shrine!” Aiba said, pointing with his other finger through the window.  
   
“The Inari shrine?” Ohno asked.  
   
“I told you, I’m a kitsune and I’m here to grant your wish,” Aiba pouted.  
   
“I don’t know, Aiba-san. If you really are, please prove it to me,” Ohno said.  
   
Aiba nodded. He touched his hoshi no tama and he suddenly became a white furry ball. When he uncurled himself, Ohno almost screamed. Aiba’s fox form was in front of him, in its ethereally white glory. His tails were all over the place since the apartment was too small to contain them.  
   
“Gomenasai,” Aiba apologized. “The space was too small and cramped. I’m going to go back to human form, okay?”  
   
“H-hai…” Ohno stuttered. Aiba went back to his human form. “So… you are real? I mean… kitsune are real?”  
   
“That’s quite offensive, Ohno-san. You don’t believe in us anymore,” the taller man sighed. “Anyway, it’s okay. Now that you’ve seen me, you’ll believe in us.”  
   
“But what are you doing here?”  
   
“I’m here to grant your wish. Your heart’s wish,” he emphasized. “Ohno-san, how long have you been alone in this world?” he asked casually.  
   
Ohno looked at the side sadly. “Well, my parents separated when I was twelve years old. And until now, I haven’t found them. I lived with my grandmother but she’s gone now.” He sniffed as he stopped himself from crying.  
   
Aiba rant beside him and patted the man. “Don’t cry, Ohno-san. I don’t like it when someone cries,” he said. “Don’t worry, I’m going to stay here with you. I’ll be your friend.”  
   
“Really?”  
   
“Well, I don’t know much about the human world so I also hope you can teach me. I hope you’ll keep my secret too,” Aiba said, bowing in front of him.  
   
Ohno smiled. He had found a companion already. And he thought it’s not bad to teach him about the ways of the human world. “Wakarimashita,” he answered. “Thank you, Aiba-san.” Ohno looked at his alarm clock and saw that it was almost 8 AM. “Oh! I have to go now. I have to go to work,” he told his new friend, as he hurriedly changed into his office clothes. He ran out of the room and Aiba watched him as he ran down the alley to catch the bus to the train station.  
   
“Kami-sama, I hope Ohno-san can reach work early today. Pray that he would have good luck,” Aiba prayed.  
   
Aiba looked around. It was a bit messy. He was about to use his hoshi no tama for magic when a furry ball shot inside the window and transformed into another white kitsune, this time with a golden line of fur on the top. His nine tails were gently swishing in the cramped space.  
   
“Hisashiburi, Aiba-chan,” he greeted.  
   
“Nino-kun!” he answered.  
   
“Well, I guess you’re quite a failure in the messenger department,” he joked as he placed his own hoshi no tama, glowing in gold this time, on top of the table. He transformed into a human being.  
   
“I was just careless.”  
   
“Leaving a hoshi no tama in a human’s hands is not just an act of carelessness,” he reminded. “Are you sure you’re up to this man’s wish?”  
   
“Aside from returning the ball, Ohno-san tried to help me with his whole heart. Even Inari Okami acknowledged it,” Aiba said. “And besides… he is lonely.”  
   
Nino snorted. “Hey, is there aburage in here?” he asked as he sniffed.  
   
“There was. I ate it last night,” Aiba admitted.  
   
“Anyway, I just came here to give you a few pointers. Inari Okami didn’t give you some so I think I’ll be the one to give you those.”  
   
“I’m listening,” Aiba said.  
   
“Okay. Number 1: don’t look at mirrors. Mirrors can show us our true form.  
Number 2: always stay fully-clothed. There are times when our powers weaken and our transformations become imperfect and we don’t want any human to see them, right?”  
Number 3: shadows can also reveal our true form so always be careful.  
Number 4: always take care of the hoshi no tama. Sho-sensei or Inari Okami hasn’t told you but part of our power stays in here while we’re in human form. That is why you cannot transform if you don’t have it near you. As much as possible, make the ball smaller and wear it around your neck, like a necklace. That way, you won’t go weak.  
And there’s a number 5…” Nino paused for a bit.  
   
“What is number 5?”  
   
“It’s quite complicated, Aiba-chan, and I don’t think it will apply to you,” he said looking at the side.  
   
“Well, I don’t want to suddenly die, right?” Aiba insisted. “Come on, tell me! even though I still have eight tails, I’m not a as stupid as you think, Nino-kun.”  
   
Nino smiled sadly. “Aburage couldn’t actually feed your spiritual power, Aiba-chan. The more you use it, the more you become weak. You can gain food from knowledge, or words, or kindness. But the only way for you to gain back your power when you become weak is to mate with a human being.”  
   
“What?”  
   
Nino shrugged. “Of course you won’t want to kill a human, right? That act can smother a human’s soul so I hope you would never attempt that. That also means you cannot abuse your powers while you’re here.” He looked around. “I can smell nogitsune…”  
   
“Nogitsune?”  
   
“They would want to take the hoshi no tama. Protect Ohno-san. Don’t let the nogitsune get him.”  
   
“Wakarimashita,” Aiba said.  
   
Nino transformed into a fox again. “And please, visit the temple sometimes. Sho-sensei would like to meet the human,” he said before disappearing.  
   
Aiba tilted his head to the side. “Maybe I should clean up so that Ohno-san will not feel that I’m a burden,” he said as he took a broom from the side. He could see the temple-keeper sweep every morning so he also knew what to do. He started to pick up some trash and threw them in the bin. He also scrubbed the floors, using the temple-keepers technique when he did the same in the temple floors.  
   
***  
   
“Ohno Satoshi, good work for today,” the boss said, patting his shoulder. “You’re now endorsed to be transferred to the accounting department.” The other office workers clapped their hands for him.  
   
“Yokatta. I’m going to do my best,” he said, bowing low in front of everyone.  
   
“Seems like you have a lucky kitsune with you, ne?” his superstitious boss said. His eyes just widened as he thought of Aiba. “Oi, don’t look at me like that, I know you don’t believe these kitsune stuff or whatever!”  
   
“Daijoubu… Maybe I do have a lucky kitsune,” Ohno replied with a chuckle. 


	3. Eternal Debt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

>  Ohno Satoshi was an ordinary human being who found a glowing ball by the temple of Inari Okami. It was owned by a kitsune named Aiba. And as a reward, Aiba  would have to grant Ohno's heart's true wish. Would the kitsune be able to grant the wish and gain his ninth tail?

“You seem to be uneasy, Nino,” elder Sho said, swishing his white tails as he sat on his favorite bench in the shrine.  
   
The other fox kept on pacing back and forth. “Sho-sensei, does Aiba really need to stay with that human to gain his ninth tail?”  
   
“Wisdom comes in many forms,” he replied. “It can come from a war, a mission, a message, or an individual. I do not doubt Inari Okami’s wisdom, Nino.”  
   
“But I’m worried for my friend,” Nino replied. “He’s idiotic and sympathetic. He gets emotional very easily! He might be… too soft for the human world.”  
   
Sho nodded. “Sou ka. That world is full of sorrow and evil. I think that is what Inari wanted to teach Aiba.” He eyed the younger fox and said, “I think your heart is saying another thing, Nino.”  
   
Nino sighed. “I really cannot lie in front of you, Sho-sensei,” he said with a smirk.  
   
“Of course,” he replied. “I can easily hear the screaming of your heart.”  
   
“I’m worried that Aiba wold fall in love with Ohno-san.”  
   
“Oh…”  
   
“Oh? That’s your answer?”  
   
“That is not uncommon to kitsune,” Sho said.  
   
“B-but!”  
   
Sho smiled. “I once fell in love with a human too. But that human was too young. I guess we didn’t work out because he loved dogs… And you know I abhor dogs.” The elder laughed.  
   
“This is not a laughing matter, Sho-sensei!” Nino said, jumping towards the elder, causing him to get up on his feet and go to a nearby tree.  
   
“And attacking me is not a good way to solve it,” he answered. He started to walk towards the shrine.  
   
“Sho-sensei!”  
   
“Impatience, Nino, can make you lose your head… I mean tail…” he chuckled. “I think it’s best if you just take care of Aiba’s affairs once you’ve finished doing your job.”  
   
Nino snobbed his last statement before jumping far from the shrine.  
   
***  
   
Jun looked at the lucky charm hanging on his cellphone. He was waiting for Ohno because he said he would be coming with him to the izakaya and he would bring along a new friend.  
   
“I didn’t know that you have a friend!” Jun greeted happily when he received the two inside a private room.  
   
“Hajimemashite, Aiba desu,” the shy taller man greeted. He was wearing a white jersey, the pants a bit short for him, courtesy of Ohno.  
   
“Matsumoto desu,” he replied with a big smile.  
   
“Aiba-san, this is my superior in the office,” Ohno introduced. “But he’s also my friend.”  
   
“And I’m glad a friend also came for Ohno-san,” Jun replied with a toast. “You might be his lucky charm!” he added with a laugh.  
   
Aiba smiled shyly. He had never tried liquor in his life. The other kitsune told him stories that it would make him feel good. Nino, his best friend, told him that he should be careful because he could sputter out different secrets while he was drunk.  
   
“Aiba-san, are you okay?” Ohno whispered. Jun was telling animated stories of his youth.  
   
“Ah… hai… I don’t know if I can handle liquor,” he admitted.  
   
“Then drink water,” his friend whispered. “It’s okay, Jun-san won’t notice.” He also passed a bowl to him. “Here, it’s full of aburage. I know that you’ll like it.”  
   
Aiba smiled because of Ohno’s kindness. He drank some water and ate the aburage.  However, as he looked at the already drunk Jun, he noticed a familiar mark by his neck. He was about to observe it when the man suddenly pulled him and said, “Here, some barbeque!”  
   
“Arigatou gozaimasu!” he answered as he gratefully took some. “Human food tastes soo good!” he commented out of the blue as he chewed.  
   
The boss laughed. “What have you been eating, silly?”  
   
Aiba shook his head due to his blooper. “I… I used to eat vegetables…” he laughed meekly again.  
   
After eating, they looked for a taxi for Jun. Ohno walked towards the nearby road to call one while he left Aiba to carry Jun.  
   
“I… I know what you are…” Jun said, his eyes half-closed. “You’re one of them…”  
   
“What are you talking about, Jun-san?” This time, Aiba had the chance to look at the mark by his neck. He almost gasped as he realized what it was. The man tried to stand straight but he just ended up being caught by Aiba as he fell.  
   
“Aiba-san, I hope you’re not like him,” he said in a sleepy voice before he was knocked unconscious.  
   
Ohno arrived in a cab. The two assisted Jun inside. “Please take him here,” he instructed the driver, giving him the address.  
   
“Is he going to be okay?” Aiba asked, worried.  
   
“Well, he was drunk,” Ohno chuckled. “Let’s go home. You’re not yet drunk, right?”  
   
“No. I only took one glass,” Aiba replied. “But if you are, then I can carry you,” he offered.  
   
Ohno laughed. “Nah. I’m good,” he answered. They both walked back to the apartment.  
   
***  
   
“Ever since you talked to Sho-sensei, he became like that,” Sei, a female kitsune, told Nino as they both watched the master look at the clearing in the shrine, specifically on his favorite porch.  
   
“Is there something bothering him?” Nino asked.  
   
Sei looked around. “I am not allowed to show you, Nino-kun,” she whispered. “But follow me.” She leapt through the bushes and Nino followed suit. A hole suddenly appeared on a tree and she slipped through it.  
   
When Nino entered the same hole, they found themselves in the same shrine, except that it was afternoon. Sho’s favorite bench pole was not there too. A man in yukata was sweeping the front of the shrine but Nino immediately knew that he was a kitsune because of the glowing ball on his neck. It was glowing in pink.  
   
“Ohayou gozaimasu, Sho-sensei,” a young high schooler went in the clearing, with bushy eyebrows and a big bag.  
   
“Is that…?” Nino asked. Sei just nodded.  
   
The scene dissolved and they found themselves in the same location. Sho and the high schooler sat at the front porch, the younger one leaning his head on the elder’s shoulder. Nino watched as their hands entwined slowly.  
   
The scene dissolved and they found Sho standing in front of the man. “You are not human!” he said, pointing a finger at the shrine guardian. He just looked straight with a sad smile.  
   
“How did you know?”  
   
“I saw your tail, I saw your imperfections, I saw everything! You lied to me about everything!” he kept on shouting, making the birds fly out of the trees.  
   
“I’m so sorry, Jun. if I said anything, you would really leave,” he replied. “I guess this is goodbye,” Sho added, his voice shaking a bit. Before the human could speak, Sho transformed into a fox, back into a furry ball, and pelted to the sky.  
   
“Sho, wait!” Jun shouted but it was too late. The fox never returned.  
   
The scene dissolved again and Nino saw that Jun was talking to a shrine-keeper. He was asking if he could build a memorial in the middle of the shrine. He then saw Jun starting to build a bench-porch made of shiny and smooth stones on his own. When he finished the bench porch, he would wait for Sho by the front of the shrine but he would not come. Nino saw that the elder often hid behind a tree, not wanting to be seen by his old lover.  
   
After some days, Jun, in his despair, shouted, “This will be the last time I will come here. I would have to leave for a faraway place. I hope you’ll like my final gift for you, Sho. I will never forget you.” It started to rain even though the sun was high in the sky. Sho was crying behind the trees.  
   
“Come on,” Sei whispered. They found themselves back in the present. “That’s what been bothering Sho-sensei,” she concluded. “After Aiba ended up with that human, he began to remember that time,” she sighed.  
   
“I don’t want the same thing to happen to Aiba,” Nino said before he sprinted back to Inari’s home.  
   
***  
   
Ohno was laughing loudly when they reached the apartment. Aiba hurriedly fixed his companion’s bed and helped the drunken man to the futon. He started muttering incoherent words so the kitsune knelt down to listen. However, Ohno just lifted his arms and hooked them on the jersey, pulling Aiba down for a kiss.  
   
The kitsune was shocked. He immediately sat up and touched his lips. Ohno was already snoring on the futon. He felt his heart beating very fast, his small hoshi no tama glowing brighter as ever. He did not forget to put a blanket over Ohno before he transformed into a fox and jumped out of the window.  
   
“Sho-chan! Sho-chan!” Aiba called out as he landed on the elder’s favorite porch. He was not there.  
   
“Aiba?” the elder kitsune called out as he walked cautiously towards the clearing. The younger one noticed that the porch was standing in the middle, where the moon could be able to bathe it with light, the white stones glowing more as it did. “What are you doing here?”  
   
“I… I want to ask you something, Sho-chan,” he said.  
   
“Yes, dear one?”  
   
“Earlier this day, I was with Ohno-san. When we got home, I helped him, because he was drunk, to go to bed.” Aiba looked at the moon. “But he accidentally kissed me!” He looked alarmed. “Nino told me that I can suck out the soul from a human…”  
   
Sho chuckled. “Don’t worry, he won’t die just because of a simple kiss,” he reassured. “Is that all?”  
   
“Anou… you’re very wise, Sho-chan…”  
   
“But that doesn’t make you an idiot. It’s just a one-tail difference.”  
   
“Yes, but I feel so stupid right now. Earlier, after Ohno-san kissed me, my heart started to beat very fast and my hoshi no tama was glowing very bright,” Aiba said in confusion. He watched as Sho jumped to the porch and sat down again, his tails freely blown by the wind.  
   
“Well, I don’t want to jump into conclusions, Aiba-chan,” Sho said. “So that means, you have to figure everything on your own.” Sho frowned. “By the way, why did you leave Ohno-san alone?”  
   
“Doushite?”  
   
“I can smell nogitsune. Hurry!” Sho said in alarm. Aiba rushed out of the shrine walls.  
   
As he watched the younger kitsune go back to the human, Sho sighed. “I don’t want to jump into conclusions but I think you’re in love with a human, Aiba…” he said before he slept on his porch.   



	4. The Man with the Fox Mark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

>  Ohno Satoshi was an ordinary human being who found a glowing ball by the temple of Inari Okami. It was owned by a kitsune named Aiba. And as a reward, Aiba  would have to grant Ohno's heart's true wish. Would the kitsune be able to grant the wish and gain his ninth tail?

“Ohno-san!” Aiba called out as he landed in the apartment through the window. He immediately transformed into a human. His companion was still sleeping. It seemed like he kicked the sheets off as he did. He was also snoring peacefully.  
   
Aiba sat beside him and checked him out, afraid that Sho’s warning could come true. He sighed in relief as he found no marks of nogitsune whatsoever in Ohno’s body. Deciding that he should be more careful, he closed the windows and curtains, locked the door, and transformed back into a fox.  
   
“It’s been a long time since I last studied this magic but I hope I could do it well,” Aiba said as the pearl-sized hoshi no tama went back to its original basketball size.  
   
Aiba’s tails surrounded him and the human, creating a ball. The ball glowed gold and then blue before it disappeared. The kitsune sighed due to tiredness. He fell asleep beside Ohno, not bothering to transform back into a human.  
   
That morning, Ohno woke up. He was surprised to see Aiba’s fox form on the floor beside him, sleeping peacefully. He was not yet used to seeing him like that. “You must be very tired from last night,” he thought as he patted the fine fur. It felt so good to the touch. He stood up and prepared breakfast for the two of them.  
   
“Jun-san was right,” Ohno said to himself. “Touching a kitsune’s fur can make you feel better.” He felt as if all of his hangover disappeared as he touched his friend earlier.  
   
“Ah, Ohno-san,” Aiba said as he woke up from his sleep. He realized that he was a fox so he immediately transformed into his human form. “Gomen, I fell asleep as a fox.”  
   
“No problem,” Ohno replied. “Maybe that’s the reason why it felt warm last night,” he added. “Anyway, breakfast is ready.”  
   
As the two of them ate on the low table, Ohno’s phone rang. “It’s Jun-san,” he said. He stood up and answered, sitting by the windowsill.  
   
As Ohno mentioned it, Aiba could not help but wonder. _“Why did he have a fox mark?”_ he asked himself. _“And what did he mean when he told me that he knew me?”_  
   
“Aiba-san?” Ohno suddenly called out, waking him from his daydream.  
   
“Ah… hai?” he asked with a smile.  
   
“Jun-san asked if you could come with me today,” the shorter man said. “In the office.”  
   
“But…!” the kitsune replied, scared. “I might cause trouble! I don’t know how things work in the human world!”  
   
“Daijoubu, I’ll be here beside you,” Ohno answered.  
   
After they got dressed (Ohno had to borrow some pants from a neighbor since his pants were too short for Aiba), they went to the bus stop.  
   
“What are we waiting for?” Aiba asked, curious about the number of people waiting for the bus.  
   
“The bus. It’s going to take us to the train station,” Ohno explained kindly. The bus arrived and Ohno held Aiba’s hand because he looked scared when the doors opened on its own. “You have to hold on to the bars,” he reminded as they were not able to sit down.  
   
Aiba held on tightly. He watched the windows as they sped by different shops and streets, amazed at the way humans lived. It was actually different from the scary stories Nino used to tell him.  
   
“We’re here,” his companion said. They went down along with a wave of people on the station.  
   
“The stairs are moving!” Aiba commented.  
   
“Don’t worry,” Ohno chuckled. “That’s an escalator. Come on, it will lead us to the train.” The two of them rode the escalator, which much difficulty on Aiba’s part, and went down the subway. The human bought two tickets for them.  
   
“How am I going to use this?” Aiba asked. He looked around and saw the other people entering the station by just touching the top of the machine. He tried to do the same but nothing happened.  
   
“Aiba-san, let me do that for you,” Ohno said, inserting his card into the slot. The metal gate opened and the kitsune stepped in. Ohno followed.  
   
“This looks amazing, Ohno-san!” he said in delight. The platform was well-lit and the people were lined up for the arrival of the train.  
   
“Just don’t get lost,” Ohno replied. “That’s our train,” he said, as the express train stopped and opened the doors for the passengers. “You have to hold on, Aiba-san,” he reminded again.  
   
Aiba looked at the darkness as the train moved. He saw his true form in his reflection. “Ohno-san!” he hissed.  
   
“Yes?”  
   
“My reflection… I can’t!” he managed to say before they were squeezed by other people.  
   
“Okay! Just be careful,” the other replied. Aiba kept his head down for the rest of the trip. His neck hurt as they went down their station.  
   
“Are you okay?” the salary man asked. Aiba nodded as he held his nape. “Let’s go. That’s my office,” he said, pointing to the high building. “Jun-san’s parents are the owner of the company.”  
   
They went inside the building and Ohno accompanied his friend to Jun’s office. “Matsumoto-san asked for him to come,” he told the receptionist.  
   
“Ah, is he Aiba-san?” she asked. “I’ll let him come in; Matsumoto-san is still in a meeting. You can go now, Ohno-san,” she said.  
   
“I’ll leave you here. Just follow her, okay? And don’t touch anything that you don’t know,” Ohno whispered.  
   
Aiba nodded nervously. The girl led him to a spacious office, three times the size of Ohno’s apartment. There was a large table at the end of the room, overseeing the city through the glass walls. There was also a bookshelf beside the receiving area full of cozy couches.  
   
“Please sit down. I’m going to get some food for you,” she said.  
   
“Thank you,” Aiba managed to say as he ogled the room in amazement. The girl left and closed the door behind her. The kitsune stood up and explored the large room. In the middle of the room was a miniature model encased in glass. He looked at the bookshelf but instead of business books, he found different old books about Japanese mythology, monsters, and more specifically, kitsune.  
   
“Aiba-san,” a deep voice called from the door. When he turned around, he saw Jun, wearing a handsome suit. He just came from his meeting. “Welcome to my office.”  
   
“Jun-san!” he said, bowing down in greeting. The man went towards him and made him stand straight. He observed him from top to bottom and tilted his chin. “What are you doing?”  
   
“You’re a kitsune, aren’t you?” he said with a smirk. 


	5. Ways of the World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

>  Ohno Satoshi was an ordinary human being who found a glowing ball by the temple of Inari Okami. It was owned by a kitsune named Aiba. And as a reward, Aiba  would have to grant Ohno's heart's true wish. Would the kitsune be able to grant the wish and gain his ninth tail?

“I… what are you talking about?” Aiba asked, afraid that someone else knew his secret.  
   
“Relax, I won’t tell anyone,” the boss said, making himself comfortable on the couch. “I’ve been researching on your like ever since I graduated high school.” He stood up again and dragged Aiba to the middle of the room where the glass case was.  
   
When Aiba finally saw what was inside, he gasped. “This is the shrine’s…”  
   
“You’ve seen that before, right?” he said. Jun smiled. “I made that for a certain kitsune, that very one who always sat on the porch as though he owned it.”  
   
“You know Sho-chan?”  
   
Jun’s smile wavered and it was replaced by a sad expression. “I do…” He suddenly went to Aiba and held his shoulders. “Please lead me to him... I’m begging you!”  
   
“Eh?” Aiba said, confused. “But why should I do that?” he asked. “How did you know about… me?” he asked further.  
   
“The transformations of kitsune are imperfect,” Jun replied. “Your shadow has a tail, your nape has fine white hairs, and I think that pearl around your neck is actually a hoshi no tama.”  
   
“How do you know all of these things about kitsune?”  
   
“I researched about all of you,” the boss replied.  
   
Aiba looked alarmed. “Why? do you want to catch us? To kill us?”  
   
“No… I don’t mean any harm,” Jun said, sighing. He sat on the couch and closed his eyes. “I just wanted to meet him again.”  
   
“Who?”  
   
“Sho-sensei,” he replied. “He’s very important to me, you see. But I was naïve. I was close-minded. I guess I offended him because I was ignorant.”  
   
Aiba walked towards him. “What happened?” He sat beside the sad man, wanting to know what’s bothering him.  
   
“Kitsune are not really interested in human affairs, right?” Jun asked.  
   
“Well, we’re not the same. Nino-chan said that I’m the type that sympathizes with humans,” Aiba smiled proudly.  
   
“Well, maybe you would like to listen to my story,” Jun said. He talked about meeting a shrine-keeper who was actually Sho, his discovery, the way he shouted at the poor kitsune, and Jun’s search for him.  
   
“So that’s why you made the porch,” Aiba said, nodding in understanding.  
   
Jun nodded also. “I guess Sho-sensei is still mad at me for saying those words,” he said. “He never showed up everytime I go to the shrine.”  
   
“No, that’s not true! In fact, Sho-chan always sits and sleeps on that porch. He never let anyone use it!” Aiba said in assurance. “That means it’s also important to him.”  
   
“Would you let me meet him?” Jun asked. “I’ll give you anything in return.”  
   
“I don’t need anything, Jun-san, but I will try to help. I think Sho-chan will be happy to meet you again.”  
   
Later that day, Ohno and Aiba made their way home. They passed by an udon stand and the salary man treated his friend there. “Why did Jun-san ask for you?” he asked curiously.  
   
Aiba took an aburage and stuffed it in his mouth. “Jun-san knew everything about me…” he said.  
   
Ohno looked surprise. “What are we going to do? Is he planning something bad?” he asked.  
   
“Daijoubu. He said the secret’s safe,” the kitsune replied. “But I have to help him.”  
   
“Well, Jun-san is really interested in mythology and stuff. Of cours,e he would be delighted to know that everything’s true…” Ohno commented before he drank beer.  
   
Aiba tilted his head to one side. “But he was not asking of those things. He wanted to meet one of us,” he said. He was surprised that the owner of the stand gave him an extra bowl with extra aburage. “Sorry, I did not order this…” he said.  
   
“It’s in the house,” the owner said with a smile. “I didn’t know I would see you here, Aiba-chan,” he added.  
   
Ohno was already snoring at the side when the kitsune looked to his side. The man in the udon stand suddenly became a kitsune. Instead of the pure white that was trademarked for the servants of Inari, this one is colored golden brown.  
   
“Koichi-san?” Aiba asked. He nodded.  
   
“How are you, Aiba-chan?” the elder asked.  
   
“You’ve been handling this udon stand for years,” Aiba said.  
   
“Yes, an udon stand that can only be seen by special people,” Koichi replied. “I was afraid that Ohno-san won’t be able to see this stand anymore after you arrived. All of his sadness and disappointments in life…”  
   
“Can you tell me more about him?”  
   
“Of course,” Koichi replied. “Ohno-san is actually the son of the past shrine-keeper of Inari Okami.”  
   
“Really? I’ve never seen him before!” Aiba responded.  
   
“Well, you were busy studying to get your tails, remember?” Koichi said. “Anyway, Ohno was a bullied child. He spent his time drawing alone in the different parts of the shrine. Sho-sensei used to observe him because he could feel pure kindness emanating from him.”  
   
“Sho-sensei used to say that a human of pure heart is more powerful than any hoshi no tama,” Aiba said.  
   
Koichi nodded again, looking at the sleeping form of Ohno. “But after his father died, he decided to leave the shrine. Because of that, the kitsune living in there could not protect him anymore. He decided to live in front of the shrine because he always remembered his days when he was younger.” He sighed. “He was all alone in this world. Maybe that’s why he wished for a companion.”  
   
“Sou ka,” Aiba replied. “I’ll always be here for him then,” he said with a small smile.  
   
“Wouldn’t it be difficult, Aiba-chan? You’re a servant of a kami. You would have to leave Ohno-san when he would not feel lonely anymore,” the older kitsune asked.  
   
“But I am forever grateful for his kindness,” Aiba replied. “Ohno-san is a very good person. I can really feel it!”  
   
The older kitsune just smiled at him. “I sometimes feel a tinge of sadness when a usual customer suddenly disappears,” he said, looking at the sleeping human. “But I also feel happy for that person because I know that his wishes would be fulfilled, that he would not need a kitsune’s udon.” He transformed back into his human form. “Aiba-chan, take Ohno-san home, okay?”  
   
“Hai,” Aiba replied, carrying the sleeping man on his back. Aiba walked slowly, careful not to wake his friend up.  
   
“Aiba-san?” he heard a muffled voice from the back.  
   
“Hai?”  
   
“Arigatou…” Ohno said, making the kitsune smile. He continued walking slowly towards the apartment, greeting the old woman down the street before proceeding upstairs. He laid the smaller man on the futon and kept him warm by putting a thick blanket over him.  
   
“Maybe he would eat when he wakes up,” Aiba thought so he placed the udon Koichi gave in a bowl and covered it with a plate before sitting by the windowsill. He placed his hands on his chest and felt his heart’s fast beating. “Sho-chan…” he called out in a small voice. “I need your help…”  
   
He decided to take a visit to the shrine. He sealed the apartment room first as a protection before he went to the shrine in his human form. He saw the elder kitsune by the porch.  
   
“You’ve been liking the ways of humans, Aiba-chan,” Sho chuckled. The younger kitsune was surprised, transforming to a white fox in shock. “There’s no need to be surprised,” he then said, going down from the porch.  
   
“Sho-chan…”  
   
“You’re going to ask about something, right?” the elder said. “Well, even though I can read your heart, I would like to hear it from you directly…”  
   
“Sho-chan, I…” Aiba started shyly. “I think there’s something weird going on with me when I am near Ohno-san.”  
   
“Well, you’re not stupid not to realize what that is, I guess, my dear student,” Sho replied. “Go on…”  
   
“I… I think I’m in love with a human,” Aiba admitted. He looked at Sho directly, half-hoping that he would have a reaction. But the answer was very simple.  
   
“Love between humans and kitsune is not uncommon.”  
   
“Sho-chan, you’ve been saying that to almost… a hundred or so kitsune,” Aiba said. “But I know that that is not your real answer… Please tell me.”  
   
“Tell you what, Aiba-chan?” he replied, still smiling.  
   
“About the truth when you love a human!” his student pleaded. “You know very well how this goes, right?”  
   
“I am someone who teaches kitsune about the ways of the world…”  
   
“But, Sho-chan, what about Jun-san?” Aiba blurted.  
   
“Jun-what?” Sho asked, surprised. The sudden mention of the name was enough to make the elder fall down from the porch.  
   
“You know him, right?” Aiba asked.  
   
“I…” Sho sighed sadly as he let his tails cover his body. When they uncovered him, he was already in his human form.  
   
“Sho-chan…” Aiba said, amazed. He was surprised at how handsome his teacher’s human form is. “I thought you’d look like an old man or something,” he chuckled.  
   
“Aiba-chan!” he said, with the same, piercing fox-look. “I know, I don’t look as intelligent, but this is the human form that I had when I met Jun years ago…”  
   
Aiba stopped laughing and nodded at him. “But why did you leave him?”  
   
“He saw me as a monster…”  
   
“But he made that porch just for you,” Aiba said. “He never forgot about you…”  
   
“Human emotions are so unstable, Aiba,” he tried to reason out. “They’re not like us. We cannot be together…”  
   
“But you said that your love is uncommon!”  
   
“I gave up,” Sho said calmly. “I think Jun-san did, too.” He transformed into a fox and resumed to his original position on the porch.  
   
Aiba approached his teacher and looked at his closed eyes. “He did not give up, Sho-chan,” he said. “He had been looking for you. He knows that I can bring him to you and I will help him. I could not bear seeing anyone living in that weight of sadness.”  
   
Aiba transformed into a human and walked out of the shrine. When he was out of sight, Sho opened his eyes and sadly said, “I hope you can bring him to me, Aiba-chan. I’m so sorry, I’m scared to face him…”   



	6. A Whirlwind of Emotions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

>  Ohno Satoshi was an ordinary human being who found a glowing ball by the temple of Inari Okami. It was owned by a kitsune named Aiba. And as a reward, Aiba  would have to grant Ohno's heart's true wish. Would the kitsune be able to grant the wish and gain his ninth tail?

“Ohayou, Ohno-san!” Aiba greeted when the human woke up.  
   
“I fell asleep after a glass of beer,” the smaller man said. “Luckily, it’s Saturday today.”  
   
Aiba knew that Koichi might have placed something in his drink. “Maybe you were tired last night. Oh well, the kind man from the udon stand gave this to you,” he said, removing the cover of the bowl. He smiled at the fact that it was still smoking and hot, a magic courtesy of the kitsune from last night. He watched as Ohno ate heartily.  
   
Ohno saw the bits of aburage and placed them on the plate that was earlier used as the bowl’s cover. “I know that you like these, Aiba-san. Please eat too.”  
   
“Really, there’s no need for you to…”  
   
“Daijoubu… Those bits of aburage are not even enough to show my gratefulness to you,” Ohno smiled widely. “I’m feeling a lot better ever since you came, Aiba-san.”  
   
“You gave me back my hoshi no tama,” Aiba said. “I’m greatly indebted to you.” He touched his pearl-sized magical ball. “Besides, you’ve become a good friend of mine,” he added.  
   
“Thank you,” Ohno replied. “I had very few friends. I was lucky that Jun-san befriended me. Now, I think my coworkers are also treating me well.” He looked at Aiba and said, “You’re like my lucky star…” he felt himself blush so he started slurping the contents of the bowl.  
   
The kitsune also blushed, his heart beating madly. The pearl was glowing too. He laughed nervously. “Well, humans used to believe that we’re lucky creatures but I believe that it’s all because of your hardwork.”  
   
There was a knock on the door. “I’ll get it,” Ohno said, standing up and facing the visitor. When he opened the door, he saw a young woman with long hair. They looked at each other, eye-to-eye, for quite some time.  
   
“Haruka desu,” she introduced herself, letting out an angelic smile. She bowed low. She also saw Aiba who was sitting on the floor and bowed. “I’m your new neighbor,” she said. “I just want to meet my neighbors so I decided to knock. I won’t be long. Please, accept this,” she gave a pie to Ohno who just nodded and accepted the token.  
   
“See you later,” he said, waving before the girl closed the door behind her.  
   
Aiba looked at Ohno curiously. “Who was that?”  
   
Ohno smiled, looking mesmerized. “That’s Haruka. She’s very pretty, don’t you think?”  
   
“Ah, well, yeah,” Aiba replied. He could sense that Ohno had taken a liking towards this human. “She is…”  
   
The day passed and Aiba was staring at the windowsill, looking at the roof of the shrine that he could see. He was wondering about the things Sho told him.  
   
 _“Unlike kitsune, humans change their minds easily. They might love you at first but they could leave you quickly,”_ he said bitterly.  
   
Ohno did not seem to notice Aiba’s silence as he continued to do his weekend work: drawing and cleaning the house. It was already lunch time when he snapped his companion from his daydream.  
   
“Are you okay, Aiba-san?” he asked.  
   
“Ah, I’m fine. I am just a bit dizzy,” he responded.  
   
Ohno nodded. “Well, if that’s the case, maybe we should not go…”  
   
“Go where?”  
   
“Every Saturday, I go to the bay and rent a boat to go fishing,” he explained.  
   
“Fishing? I’ve never been to the bay before!” Aiba said excitedly.  
   
The human smiled as he had caught the kitsune’s attention. “Then maybe you can come with me,” he said. He prepared his materials and lent Aiba some clothes before setting off. “The bay is just nearby so we’ll walk,” he said.  
   
Aiba nodded. “Even though I live here in the shrine, I still haven’t gone far. My first mission away from Inari Okami was to go to the East but, well, things happened,” the kitsune told Ohno, who nodded in reply.  
   
“Well, my father used to tell me that different things happen for a reason,” he said. “Ah, we’re here!” He waved at a man on a boat.  
   
The man smiled at Ohno and then at Aiba. “I’m going to check what boat is good for today,” Ohno said. “Wait here.”  
   
As the human left, the man patted Aiba’s shoulder. “Aiba-chan, I didn’t know that you’ll be out of the shrine.”  
   
Upon looking at the man’s glowing pearl on his neck, Aiba asked cautiously, “Are you…?”  
   
“Yes. My name’s Kimura. How’s Sho? I heard that he’s pretty much one of the best teachers around,” he said.  
   
“Hai. He is my sensei,” the younger kitsune said proudly. “But what are you doing here?”  
   
“Protecting the fishers here in this lake,” Kimura answered. “The nogitsune always wanted to play around with the humans here,” he tutted. “The people who go here, like Ohno-san, are peaceful and melancholic. They don’t deserve to be played around so I stay here to protect them.”  
   
“Aiba-san!” Ohno waved from afar as he stepped on the boat he had chosen.  
   
Kimura smiled. “Aiba-san, Ohno is one of the kindest people who go here,” he said. “I hope you know what to do.”  
   
Aiba paused for a while before he smiled. “Hai!” he ran towards the rented boat, leaving the keeper.  
   
After a small chat, the two friends went off the shore. Aiba was holding on to a metal pole in the middle of the boat, a little bit nervous for his first time in the sea. “Ohno-san!” he called out. Ohno looked at him and laughed as he continued to steer towards the middle of the sea.  
   
“There’s no need to be afraid, Aiba-san,” Ohno said, holding out his hand. Aiba took it reluctantly, and he was pulled up. “The middle is quite beautiful. We’re away from everything,” he said, stretching before setting up the fishing materials.  
   
“I haven’t been in this place before,” the kitsune said. “Though I’m not really afraid of water.”  
   
“It’s okay,” Ohno replied as he secured the reel to the rod. “Yosh. Now we have to wait for our catch.”  
   
“Why do you like fishing, Ohno-san?” Aiba asked as they sat by the end of the boat, waiting for the catch.  
   
“Well, it’s just a new hobby. I started reading some magazines a year ago and when I tried, I actually enjoyed it.”  
   
“Eh? Isn’t this a bit boring and lonely?” Aiba asked.  
   
“Well, since I’ve been alone, I had no problems fishing alone. But it feels so good to go here with a companion,” he smiled. He felt a bit uncomfortable that he held his chest for a while. “Thank you, Aiba-san,” he finished as he let himself lie down on the boat floor.  
   
“Thank you, too, Ohno-san,” the kitsune replied as he blushed. _“I don’t think all humans are evil, Sho-chan,”_ he thought. _“Ohno-san is pure and kind. I love him.”_  
   
***  
   
Jun decided to go to the shrine of Inari once again. It was already evening and he decided to see if what Aiba was saying the truth. He crept inside the shrine grounds, trying to be as silent as possible.  
   
He hid behind the bushes as he made his way to the clearing and he was surprised at what he saw. A beautiful, white fox was sleeping on the stone porch he had made in his high school years. It glowed under the moonlight and its tails were freely swishing. Jun could not help but smile as he also noted that Sho was actually a nine-tailed fox.  
   
“You look enticed,” a voice from his back said. When he turned around, he saw a beautiful young woman wearing a kimono. “You’re nto here to catch him, are you?”  
   
“N-no…” he said, surprised. “I just wanted to… I just…”  
   
“Well, Jun-san, you do know that kitsune can read your heart…” she laughed. “But that’s not my specialty,” she added. “That’s is Sho-sensei’s…”  
   
“Sho-sensei?”  
   
She nodded with a smile. “Ah, how rude. By the way, my name is Sei, and I think it’s safe to tell you that I’m also a kitsune.”  
   
“What is your specialty then?” he asked curiously.  
   
“Slipping through other dimensions… and going through different times,” she boasted. “That means I know about you and Sho-sensei…”  
   
“You do?”  
   
“You made that porch, right, Jun-san?” she confirmed. He nodded. She peeked through the bushes and saw the elder kitsune still sleeping. “Sensei used to say that the porch was something that he was destined to protect. I was really curious. He never let anyone sit on that, saying that it is more important than his own life, than his own hoshi no tama.”  
   
Jun blinked, trying to hide his tears. “He… he said it is important to him?”  
   
“Well, yes,” Sei replied. “I wanted to know why so I stumbled back to the time when he was a shrine-keeper. That’s how I knew about your story.”  
   
“I didn’t know that I have hurt his feelings so much,” Jun said regretfully.  
   
“Of course. No matter how wise our teacher is, he is still a kitsune. He is still capable of feeling,” Sei said sadly. “Maybe he felt all anxiety and fear inside your heart when you confronted him.”  
   
“But I changed my mind! I was surprised about him being a kitsune but that did not change what I feel about him!” Jun said, crying. “Why didn’t he listen?”  
   
“Why don’t you ask him directly?” Sei asked, tilting her chin towards the side.  
   
Jun looked at the porch and the white fox was gone. However, he was surprised when a familiar voice called his name. “Jun?”  
   
“Sho-sensei?” he said, seeing the elder’s human form. He smiled and ran towards him, giving him a tight embrace. “I thought I’ll never see you again!”  
   
The kitsune seemed surprised as the young man held him tight. He felt all the longing in his heart and he felt weak. “J-jun-san, what are you doing here?”  
   
“I came here to see you,” he said, finally letting go of the embrace but he still held the elder’s arms. “Why didn’t you show yourself to me?” he asked, shaking him a bit.  
   
“I… I can’t…” Sho replied. “You don’t understand, Jun…”  
   
“How can I understand? Are you going to confuse me again with your riddles?” he asked, a bit angry.  
   
“N-no…” Sho replied. “I am also happy to see you, Jun, but I don’t understand. I thought you have forgotten about me.”  
   
“I haven’t. I can’t,” Jun replied. “I still love you…” He embraced him again. However, before he could kiss Sho, the man collapsed on the ground. He became a white fox again but his chest was stained with red.  
   
“J-jun…” he stuttered with his remaining strength. The human saw the fox’s hoshi no tama, its glow becoming less and less.  
   
“Sho-sensei! What is happening to you?” he cried. He touched the silvery fur and rolled him over to see the source of the wound. He gasped as it was directly in his heart. “Sho-sensei!” he said hopelessly.  
   
***

 

Ohno and Aiba were laughing as they reached their apartment. “That was really fun, Ohno-san!” he commented.  
   
“Well, I was actually surprised that you almost went after the fish,” the shorter man replied. “Do kitsune like fishes?”  
   
“Well, I sometimes play with them. Gomen ne, I wasn’t able to control myself,” Aiba said, scratching the back of his head. “That was also the first time I saw a tuna that big!”  
   
Ohno laughed. However, their laughter stopped when they saw Haruka lying on the floor in front of her apartment door. The door was already open and her groceries were scattered; she seemed to have fainted on her way in.  
   
The human made his way to the girl and shook her a bit. She was not responding. “Aiba-san, please help me take her inside.”  
   
Aiba nodded. He started to gather the groceries and opened the door widely so that Ohno can help the girl inside. He laid her down on the futon inside her small room. Afterwards, they both watched over Haruka.  
   
“Is she going to be okay?” Aiba asked Ohno.  
   
“Well, I think so. She’s still breathing,” he replied, patting his back. “Maybe we should take care of her until she wakes up.” They stayed in the living room.  
   
Ohno was already sleeping when a white ball of light went inside the room, going directly in front of Aiba. It became a human. “Aiba-chan!” he hissed.  
   
“Nino-kun?”  
   
He nodded. “We have to go. Something bad happened to Sho-sensei.”  
   
“Sho-sensei? What happened?”  
   
“Just come with me. Ohno’s protection is still on, right? I think it’s safe to leave him,” he whispered. Aiba nodded before transforming into a fox. Nino also transformed and together they left the apartment.  
   
Haruka woke up a few minutes after the kitsune left and she was surprised to see Ohno leaning on the wall, sitting on the floor, and sleeping. She slowly went towards him and leaned for a kiss.  



	7. The Power of Words

**Summary for the Chapter:**

>  Ohno Satoshi was an ordinary human being who found a glowing ball by the temple of Inari Okami. It was owned by a kitsune named Aiba. And as a reward, Aiba  would have to grant Ohno's heart's true wish. Would the kitsune be able to grant the wish and gain his ninth tail?

“Sho-chan! Sho-chan!” Aiba shouted as he ran towards his teacher. “Oh no!” he exclaimed as he saw blood. “Sei-chan, Nino-kun, what happened to him?” he asked.  
   
Nino immediately let out a snarl towards the human. “You did this,” he said with a menace.  
   
“Jun-san?” Aiba said, confused. “What happened here?”  
   
“I don’t know!” he cried. “I… I just tried to talk to him and suddenly he was injured!”  
   
Aiba thought hard. “Sho-sensei cannot go near hearts that are full of intense emotions,” he remembered. He looked sadly at the human. “I’m sorry, Jun-san. We have to take Sho-chan to Inari Okami.”  
   
“Ah, hai,” Jun said with a nod. He looked like he was blaming himself.  
   
“Please take care of Ohno-san for me while I’m away,” he reminded before the three kitsune disappeared.  
   
Jun slumped on the ground. “This is all my fault…” he told himself. “I cannot go near Sho… I could kill him…”  
   
***  
   
“Ah, you’re awake,” Haruka said as Ohno sat up. she had placed a blanket over him as he slept for the night.  
   
“Haruka-san, are you feeling better now?” he asked.  
   
“Yes,” she replied as she prepared breakfast.  
   
“And have you seen Aiba-san?”  
   
“Well, he left without a word,” she replied. “He did not tell me anything when he left.” She saw that Ohno was silent after that. “Don’t worry, maybe he’ll return later,” she said with a smile. “What about breakfast?” she asked, kneeling in front of him. Ohno looked a bit surprised, looking into her eyes before he nodded.  
   
“Wow, this tastes good,” Ohno commented on the girl’s omurice.  
   
She blushed. “Well, thank you. I’m glad,” she said. After breakfast, Ohno bade goodbye and went back to his apartment. Before he left, Haruka bowed and said, “I hope to invite you for a meal again, Ohno-san.”  
   
“N-no, problem,” the man replied, smiling at her. Haruka smiled sweetly before she closed the door.  
   
The man returned to his apartment and started to draw. He felt really inspired. He also kept on glancing to the Inari shrine to see if Aiba would return. He waited for his companion the whole day.  
   
“Where might Aiba be?” he asked himself as he looked at his window. He was saddened because his friend did not say anything before disappearing. It has started to rain hard.  
   
***  
   
The fox woke up inside a white room, surrounded by Nino, Aiba, Sei, and the goddess Inari. “Sho-sensei, are you okay now?”  
   
“I… Was it that serious, Inari Okami, that I had to be here?” he asked. She nodded. “What happened?”  
   
“That human almost killed you with his intense emotions!” Nino cried. “He should be punished!”  
   
Inari held out her hand to stop the younger fox from speaking out. “Nino, I thought you know that impatience can cloud our wisdom,” she said.  
   
“I’m so sorry, Inari Okami,” he replied. “But I am just worried for Sho-sensei.”  
   
“Well, a punishment for something that we’re not sure about is the worst thing to do,” she said. “Sho-sensei, please try to remember what happened that night. It will help us know what to do, and whether you should still stay in the human world.”  
   
“I… I understand,” he replied, feeling sad that there would be a possibility for him to leave the human world.  
   
Everyone left the elder kitsune except for Aiba. He was crying. “Everything’s my fault, Sho-chan. I asked Jun to meet you…” he sniffed.  
   
“You don’t need to blame yourself,” he said. “I was also happy to see him… In fact, there were too many emotions between the two of us that I was not able to defend myself.”  
   
“Defend yourself?”  
   
“Aiba-chan, I don’t want this to go out but even though I feel weakened around intense emotions, that will never kill me,” Sho explained. “Furthermore, that will never injure me like this.”  
   
“So, what do you think happened?”  
   
“It’s a nogitsune,” the elder answered. “A nogitsune is definitely behind this!”  
   
“But they cannot enter our realm, Sho-chan. How can it be possible?” Aiba asked.  
   
Sho shook his head. “I don’t know. I was overwhelmed by Jun’s emotions to ponder on that. Because of that, I really have to return. I have to protect the shrine, and everything else that I hold dear, against those evil creatures.”  
   
“Jun-san would definitely feel sad, especially because of the words Nino-kun said,” Aiba said sadly.  
   
Sho smiled. “You must go back, Aiba. You have to go back and take care of Ohno-san. He’s very precious to you, right?”  
   
“H-how did you know?”  
   
“Well, you know what I can do…” the elder shrugged with a small smile. “Don’t allow yourself to make the same mistake that I have done…” he added, staring at the window where the moon shone brightly.  
   
“I… I love Ohno-san,” Aiba confessed. “But i don’t know if he feels the same.”  
   
“Do two people need to feel the same in love?” his teacher asked.  
   
“But… I don’t know. It hurts me to think that, of course, he would love someone like him… a human…”  
   
“Like I said, love between a kitsune and a human is not uncommon,” Sho assured. “It is more powerful, actually. Humans love so that they can support each other until they die. But you, us, we do not think of those things. Our love is pure. It is as pure as kind man’s heart.”  
   
“Wakarimashita…” Aiba said with a smile. “I’m… I’m going to go back to Ohno-san now. I’ll ask Nino-kun to watch over you…”  
   
Aiba walked out of the room. Sho sighed. “But Nino-kun is very much preoccupied by his own issues,” he said in a barely audible voice. He looked at the bird that was perched on the window. It flew away.  
   
The bird settled on another balcony in the palace of Inari. It transformed into a fox.  
   
“Why, Aiba? I am always here for you…”  
   
***  
   
Ohno sat on the floor of his apartment, staring at the window. It has been two weeks and Aiba still had not returned. He lay down on the tatami mat, his hands under his head, thinking. “It’s too quiet without Aiba-san,” he said loudly, expecting someone to answer. He just heaved a sigh.  
   
“I’ve been used to having him around,” he said sadly. “Oh well, I think I’m back to the old habit… being alone…” He tried to hide the frustration that the person who was supposed to make his only wish come true disappeared without a word, and without fulfilling that wish.  
   
A knock from the door came. “Aiba-san?” Ohno said excitedly, standing up and answering the door. Instead of his tall companion, Haruka was there, waving at him and carrying a small plastic box with her other hand.  
   
“Konbanwa, Aiba-san. I made a lot of dinner so I just wanted to share this with you,” she said, giving the box to him. They looked at each other for some seconds before she said with a sweet smile, “Ja ne. I have to go back…”  
   
“Why don’t you stay?” Ohno asked suddenly. Haruka was mildly surprised. “I…Let’s eat dinner together.”  
   
“Really?” she asked. The man nodded. She accepted his invitation and stepped inside.  
   
***  
   
“A pure human heart!” the leader of the pack of nogitsune said. Everyone looked at him. “The last one that we had was a century ago…”  
   
“There are no pure hearts in this world now, Kuro-sama,” one of them said. “Everyone is corrupted.”  
A voice laughed from the sides. “Are you so sure?”  
   
“Who are you?” the leader asked. A black fox jumped from the door. Everyone looked at him, ready to attack. Their leader was at the end of the lair, looking at him, his fangs bared.  
   
“That doesn’t matter. The important thing is that I know of a human with a very pure heart,” he said. At his words, all of the nogitsune looked. “And surely, you are chasing after him now?”  
   
“I have my plans,” Kuro said.  
   
“Well, isn’t it failing?” the stranger answered. “That kitsune’s protection is too strong that even touching him is impossible.” He jumped towards the leader. “But I can help you weaken that protection…”  
   
“H-how?”  
   
“Well, why should I tell you?” he playfully asked. All of the nogitsune posed to attack him, making the stranger fox smirk. “Maa… maa… I just need something in return…”  
   
“What is it?” Kuro asked.  
   
The brown fox strutted along the lair. “Kill the human.”  
   
“We cannot do that immediately!” Kuro roared. “We have to have his beating heart so that the power can last longer.”  
   
“Well, why don’t you just get his heart and kill him, then?” the stranger asked. “You know of magic, Kuro-san. Of course you’ll be able to kill him easily, unless you don’t want the heart.”  
   
Kuro hesitated but after a few minutes, he nodded. “Fine. What’s your plan?”  
   
***  
   
Aiba finally returned to the human world, landing on the shrine grounds. He transformed into a human and walked towards the exit when a voice called him.  
   
“Aiba-san?”  
   
He turned around and saw his friend. “O-ohno-san!” he exclaimed, running towards him. He hugged the human but he did not hug back.  
   
“You’ve been out for a long time,” he said. “I thought you’re going to grant my wish.”  
   
“I… I am so sorry,” Aiba said. “Sho-chan got sick and I needed to…”  
   
“I thought kitsune promises are true until the end?” Ohno said sarcastically. “I’ve been waiting for you for weeks but you did not even visit me. How am I supposed to know what you’ve been up to?”  
   
Aiba’s tears started to fall down. “I’m so sorry, Ohno-san. Please give me another chance.”  
   
The rain has started pouring. Ohno just shook his head. “I’m sorry, Aiba-san.”  
   
“But I have something to tell you!” Aiba said, holding his hand. “I don’t know what you’re going to think about me but… but I love you already.”  
   
Ohno’s eyes widened in surprise. However, he regained his composure. “Is that a joke?” he asked with a laugh.  
   
“No! I’m serious!”  
   
“Who would love someone like you? Go find one of your own! A human and… and something like you can’t love!” Ohno pulled his hand away from the kitsune. “Besides, I already have Haruka. At least she didn’t leave me alone.” He silently walked out of the shrine, leaving the kitsune.  
   
Aiba cried more, making the rain pour harder and harder. He turned himself into a fox and curled into a ball, hiding under the shrine as he cried.  
   
Nino went to the shrine and saw that it was raining hard even though the sun was still up. He knew that Aiba was crying so he set out looking for him. “Aiba-kun?”  
   
Aiba sniffed and covered his head with his tail. “I don’t want you to see me like this, Nino-kun…” he used his tails to brush his friend away. “Go away.”  
   
“What’s the matter?” he asked. “Come on. You always tell me your problems…”  
   
“Not this time, Nino-kun… I’ve been so stupid… So stupid that I think I should have all my tails cut off…” his friend cried. Nino went nearer and sat beside his friend, leaning his head on his friend’s furry body.  
   
“Unforgivable…” Nino whispered. “What he has done is unforgivable…” Tears also started falling down his eyes. He had read his friend’s heart. Even though it was not as powerful as Sho’s ability, the intense emotions and the tears were enough for him to know what had happened between Aiba and the human. “He must be punished severely…” He was about to jump out of the hiding place when Aiba stopped him.  
   
“No, Nino… Please don’t hurt him…” Aiba said.  
   
“But why? we’re more powerful than them. We’re not just freak objects! They don’t even deserve that world where they live in!” Nino said. “Aiba, are you out of your mind?”  
   
“No, Nino. We’re not here to hurt them!”  
   
“But that human has just done that!”  
   
Aiba slowly walked towards his friend. “Please calm down, Nino. If he needs a punishment, it should be me. I should do it. I will do it…” he said in a small voice.  
   
Nino looked at him, surprised. “You will punish him?”  
   
“I shouldn’t be hurt like this, right? I think I should do something,” Aiba said sadly. “You don’t need to interfere, Nino. You’re my friend, and I am very glad that you’re here to help me always. This time I should do things alone.”  
   
“I…” Nino started. He smiled at him and said, “Wakarimashita.” He sighed. “You’re very wise now,” he added. The fox jumped back to the sky, leaving Aiba in the clearing.  
   
They did not know that Sei was observing the two of them. She jumped towards the trees and disappeared in a black portal.  
   
Aiba groaned in confusion; he did not know what to do. He walked towards Ohno’s apartment in his human form. As he was about to go up the stairs, he saw Haruka, who looked surprised when he had arrived.  
   
“Aiba-san!” she exclaimed. She hugged him. “Ohno-san had been looking for you.”  
   
“Looking… for me?” he repeated, confused. “But he just said that he did not want to see me anymore!”  
   
“No, he did not,” Haruka said as she let go of him. She smirked as the man’s eyes widened as he sunk to the floor.   



	8. The Teacher's Last Mission

**Summary for the Chapter:**

>  Ohno Satoshi was an ordinary human being who found a glowing ball by the temple of Inari Okami. It was owned by a kitsune named Aiba. And as a reward, Aiba  would have to grant Ohno's heart's true wish. Would the kitsune be able to grant the wish and gain his ninth tail?

“W-what did you do?” Aiba stuttered with his remaining strength. He was too weak to stand from his position.  
   
Haruka smiled sweetly at him, holding out his hoshi no tama on her hand. The glow has vanished; it has become dull gray as she held it. “Aiba-san, you’re being too emotional…” she said.  
   
“What did you do with Ohno-san?” he asked as he realized everything that had happened.  
   
He was met with an ear-piercing laugh. “I did what I had to do,” she said. “The moment you said that you’re going to punish him, his protection weakened. I was able to touch him. I was able to use my powers over him.” She stood up. “A human with pure heart,” she sighed, playing with the hoshi no tama. “Soon we’re going to get his heart.” The nogitsune kicked him. “But first, I have to get rid of…”  
   
“Get away from him!” a voice shouted. A white fox appeared. He threw his hoshi no tama mid-air and blew it. It became a fireball. However, before it was able to hit Haruka, she transformed into a black fox and disappeared. Nino transformed into a human form as he ran towards his friend. Tears were already falling down his eyes. “Aiba! Aiba hold on!” he cried.  
   
“N-nino-kun… gomen…” Aiba said weakly. “She… got my hoshi no… tama…”  
   
“We’ll do something! We’ll definitely do something!” Nino said. He removed the necklace from his neck.  
   
Aiba shook his head. “That won’t work, Nino… It won’t give me power...”  
   
“Aiba-san?” another voice called out. Ohno came rushing down the stairs. “What happened to him?” he asked Nino.  
   
“This is all your fault!” Nino spat. “Because of you, Aiba had to suffer! Because of you, a nogitsune took his hoshi no tama! You’re not doing any good for him!”  
   
Ohno held Aiba, who was gasping, in his arms. “Everything’s my fault,” he said, his head down, tears falling. “What should I do, Aiba-san? What should I do? I… I can’t let you be like this! I can’t let you die!”  
   
“Then you have to give yourself to him…” Nino said in a serious voice. “Your body, your soul, your heart, and your life…”  
   
“N-no, Nino!” Aiba tried to shout but it came out as a whisper. He looked at Ohno. The human’s eyes were already full of determination that it scared him. “Don’t do it, Ohno-san… you’ll die!” He tried to pull himself away when Ohno tried to carry him to his apartment.  
   
***  
   
Inari looked at Sho. He was in his human form, wearing a white kimono. The goddess looked at him seriously. “You’ve been very wise, Sho-sensei,” she started.  
   
“Forigve me, Inari Okami,” he said, kneeling and bowing in front of her. “I was really careless…”  
   
“You will never learn lessons if you do not commit mistakes,” she said wisely. “But things are getting out of hand already…” She looked at the window. “The nogitsune, I have no ill will against them. It’s just that they are crossing the line already, destroying the balance of the world.”  
   
“I’m going to defend your shrine to the end, okami,” he said with determination.  
   
She smiled. “I’m glad to hear that. But I fear that emotions can somewhat get in the way even to mystical creatures like you,” she noted. “Traitors, liars…”  
   
“A traitor?” the elder kitsune asked, standing up. “In your shrine?”  
   
The goddess just nodded. “Now that you’ve been completely healed, I will let you return to the shrine to defend it,” she ordered. “And,” she paused, “I want you to look for your real purpose in this life.”  
   
“But my purpose is to serve Inari Okami!” he retorted. He looked surprised when the goddess shook her head.  
   
“Remember, Sho-sensei. Not all kitsune serves under me,” she reminded him. “Only the white, nine-tailed foxes do.” She went down from her pedestal and held out her hands, touching Sho’s face. “You’ve been one of my greatest kitsune, Sho-sensei. You have been well taught by the elders. You have also taught Aiba, Nino, and Sei very well. It’s time for you to find your path, your real path.”  
   
“What do you mean?” he asked.  
   
“Accomplish my order, Sho-sensei, and you will know,” Inari said, holding his hands. “I will always be with you.”  
   
“Thank you very much, Inari Okami,” he said, bowing again.  
   
“No, thank you, Sho,” she said. “Goodbye.”  
   
Sho found himself lying on the grass in the shrine. The last thing he had remembered was the goddess’ smiling face. He was still wearing his white kimono. The hoshi no tama was floating above him, ready to be used. “I have to go,” he whispered to himself as he stood up. He took the ball to his hands and he became a white fox again. He jumped high towards the sky, ready to accomplish his mission.  
   
***  
   
Ohno placed Aiba on his futon inside his apartment. He did not know what it meant when Nino said he would have to offer himself. He was running out of time; Aiba had become pale white. Why was Aiba refusing his offer?  
   
“I know!” he said. He shakily dialed Jun’s number. “Jun-san! I need to ask you something.”  
   
Jun grunted in reply. “It’s quite late, Ohno. What is it?”  
   
“You know a lot about mystical creatures, right?”he asked with urgency, glancing at Aiba.  
   
“Well, yeah, that’s my hobby,” he answered sleepily.  
   
“If a kitsune is hurt badly, what can a human do?” he asked.  
   
Jun was silent. From the other side of the line, Jun suddenly stood up, shocked. He immediately concluded that something bad happened to Aiba. “It-it’s complicated, Ohno-san.”  
   
“I don’t care! I need to know.”  
   
“You have to give yourself to him. Your body, your soul, your heart, and your life…” Jun said in a serious voice. “Ohno-san, it’s not an easy thing to do…”  
   
“What should I do?” Ohno said, crying. “Jun-san, tell me!”  
   
“Is it… Aiba-san?” his superior asked. “But that’s not important. What happened to him?”  
   
“His… his friend said that the nogitsune got his hoshi no tama…”  
   
“WHAT?” Jun said.  
   
“What is it?”  
   
“The hoshi no tama is the source of power for the kitsune. Without it, they can die.”  
   
“What should I do?” Ohno cried desperately.  
   
“It’s dangerous! You’ll die if you do it!” Jun said.  
   
“I’m ready to do it,” Ohno replied. “Aiba-san was the only person who made me feel happy again. I cannot let him die, especially because it’s my fault. I have to do something for him because he did a lot of things to make me happy.”  
   
Jun sighed. “You have to have sex with him. That’s what they mean when they say you’re going to give everything.” He paused, “But Ohno, it’s not that simple! You can die because Aiba would suck the soul out of you to regain his strength. You’ll die! And giving yourself would not sustain him. It will just give him temporary life.”  
   
Ohno ended the call without another word. He walked towards Aiba whose eyes were still open. He had heard every single word his friend had said. “Ohno-san… whatever you’re planning to do, don’t do it. I’ll be fine…”  
   
The shorter man just smiled and touched his cheek. “I’ll do anything to save you, Aiba.” He leaned down and kissed him. The kitsune’s instincts overcame his reluctance and he kissed back, pulling the man on top of him, the passion of his kiss building up. Ohno broke the kiss and whispered to his ear, “I love you, Aiba. I would rather die than to live without you by my side.”  
   
***  
   
“Okaa-san, is it the right thing to do?” Jun asked. His mother went to him.  
   
“Jun, if Ohno-san really loved Aiba, everything will be okay,” she replied.  
   
“How can you be so sure about that?”  
   
“Well, if your father didn’t love me, he would have been dead in our first night together, ne?” she said with a small smile. She patted her son’s shoulder and lightly touched his fox mark. "You know that very well, as you yourself did not die when you got that mark from Sho."

Jun touched the mark on his neck. "But, I thought... Maybe it's because I'm a product of a kitsune and a human, that's why I could not die from such an act."

“You’re not just born out of a union. You’re born out of love, and love is more powerful than any hoshi no tama…” She removed her pearl necklace and placed it on Jun’s hand.  
   
“Okaa-san, what about you?”  
   
“Like I said, our love is more powerful than any hoshi no tama. I don’t need that ball. I have you and your father. You two are like my hoshi no tama,” she said with a soft smile.  
   
Jun looked at the necklace. The pearl was glowing lilac. “But I’m not a kitsune. What am I going to do with a hoshi no tama?”  
   
“Well, even though you’re not a kitsune, you’re quite gifted with the abilities of one,” she said with a small laugh. “You can use it to help a friend in need.”  
   
Jun looked at his mother who winked at him. Realizing what he had to do. He ran out of the room, got his car from the garage, and sped away.  
   
“Arigatou, Juri-sensei,” a voice said, a light from the window got inside Jun’s bedroom and it transformed to a beautiful woman, Inari Okami.  
   
“Inari Okami,” she said, bowing down. “You don’t need to call me sensei anymore.”  
   
“Well, your wisdom is still as great as ever, Juri,” the goddess said. “Thank you for sending out Jun. it’s a very dangerous mission.”  
   
“I will do everything to serve you, even though I am not your kitsune anymore,” she replied. “And I know that Sho will protect him if he gets into trouble.”  
   
“Yes, you have taught him really well.”  
   
“His ability to hear the deepest sighs of your heart is a very rare gift for a kitsune,” Juri said. “I didn’t need to teach him anything at all. He’s a natural curious being.”  
   
“But you made him a very great teacher,” the goddess replied. “He got his ninth tail really easily.”  
   
“Is his time near?” Jun’s mother asked. “It’s a pity. He could teach more of the youngsters around…”  
   
“You have to blame your son partly for this,” the goddess giggled. “I must go and watch over all of them. Please take care, Juri-sensei. I hope we can see each other soon.”   



	9. Lost Soul

**Summary for the Chapter:**

>  Ohno Satoshi was an ordinary human being who found a glowing ball by the temple of Inari Okami. It was owned by a kitsune named Aiba. And as a reward, Aiba  would have to grant Ohno's heart's true wish. Would the kitsune be able to grant the wish and gain his ninth tail?

Ohno woke up. He looked at his hands. “I’m… alive?” he asked himself. He looked at the naked sleeping figure beside him; color seemed to have returned to Aiba but his breathing was still short. He put his clothes back on and went to the window, looking at the shrine of Inari.

“You’re alive!” a voice gasped. A black hole appeared in his apartment, growing bigger. A white fox stepped out from it. “How is that possible?” she asked.

“Are you Aiba-san’s friend?” Ohno asked, surprised a bit.

“Yes,” she replied. “My name is Sei.” She walked carefully towards Aiba’s sleeping body. “You were able to give him some strength… but it’s not enough.”

“What do you mean?”

“He stopped himself from getting your soul. Maybe he wasn’t completely able to do so but he did. That is why he is still unconscious right now,” Sei explained. “I still think that the only way for him to be back to normal is to get his hoshi no tama.”

“I will do anything!” Ohno said, kneeling in front of her. “I will get his hoshi no tama.”

“But it’s dangerous, Ohno-san! I’ll go there myself and try to get it.”

“Let me go with you,” he said. “Please!”

Sei just sighed in defeat. “Fine,” she said. She opened a black portal and said, “This is the way to the nogitsune’s lair.” She saw Ohno go near it cautiously, quite unsure because it was the first time he saw a black portal. However, he shouted when he was suddenly pushed inside.

“I’m sorry but you have to go there yourself,” Sei smirked before she became a ball of light that shot out of the window.

Aiba’s face twitched a bit. He slowly opened his eyes but there was no one in Ohno’s apartment. He looked at his hand. There was a cut that he had done to stop himself. “I… I almost destroyed you, Ohno-san,” he said with a sad smile before he closed his eyes, a tear falling down his cheek.

***

Ohno fell on the cold floor of the dark lair. It was a warehouse. He could hear the jeers and the shouts of the nogitsune. The human hid behind the pillars, trying to hide through the shadows, as he made his way inside. He could not believe that a white kitsune, Aiba’s friend, did that to him. But he’s already in the lair; he should do everything to save Aiba.

He edged towards the part where a circle of black foxes surrounded a large fire. “That’s it!” he whispered to himself as he saw that hovering above the fire was a large glowing ball. He remembered the first time he saw it. _“How am I going to get that thing?”_

“Ohno-san!” a voice called from the side.

“Haruka?”

“Shhh… What are you doing here?” she asked, making him sit down so that they could hide.

“What are _you_ doing here?” Ohno asked back.

“I saw you walking in. I bet you need some help,” she said. “Are you trying to get that ball? It’s dangerous!”

“Can… can you help me take it?”

“Of course, come with me,” she said, dragging him. He was confused why the girl was leading him into the middle. She then pushed Ohno towards some nogitsune that bound him using their tails.

“What is this?” he asked. His eyes widened when Haruka transformed into a black fox.

“Kuro-sama! This is the human with a pure heart!” some of them said. They all made noises of triumph.

“You are a liar!” Ohno said.

“And you are very vulnerable,” she laughed. She walked around the human. “You were very difficult to get, especially that a kitsune was protecting you.”

“Protecting me?”

“Yes, Aiba, that underling of Inari, created a protection for you so that you will be safe. He did not know of your pure heart.” She laughed again. “Do you know why he did that?”

“Why?”

“Because of that stupid ‘love’ that he had for you…” she said mockingly. “That was very troublesome. Everytime I looked into your eyes, nothing happened. But thanks to a certain friend, Aiba withdrew his protection from you.”

Ohno looked at her, his eyes wide. He tried to get away from the tails that bound him.

“In case you’re wondering, we sent a fake Ohno to meet him, telling him how much you hated that kitsune.” She continued to pace around. “It worked very well.” She used her tail to stroke the human’s cheek, who tried to avoid her.

“You’re horrible!” Ohno spat. He hung his head down. He knew who the traitor was.

Haruka transformed into a human form. She went towards Ohno with a smirk on her face. She ripped his clothes apart, exposing his chest. With her long and cold fingers, she started to trace the part where his heart lies. Ohno moved his head away, whimpering at the coldness.

“What?” she said with a gasp, noticing something on his exposed neck. He forcefully pulled him nearer to observe the side of his neck. A small fresh scar that looked like a scratch was evident. “A fox mark!”  The other nogitsune looked at each other, murmuring. “What did you do?” she asked Ohno, slapping him. “Why do you have a fox mark? You’re supposed to be untainted!”

“I gave myself to another kitsune already,” he said, trying to give a small smirk while being in his awful situation. His cheek was painful, he already had a bloody scratch from Haruka’s slap.

The nogitsune transformed into a fox again and blew fire towards the white hoshi no tama. “NO!” Ohno shouted. However, after the flames disappeared, the ball still shone brightly.

“What you did was useless!” she shouted. “You did not even give your soul to him! Aiba will never stay alive!”

“I am alive,” a voice from the corners of the room echoed. A magnificent white fox jumped down, its nine tails moving behind him. “And I will not let you hurt Ohno-san!”

“Aiba-san!” Ohno shouted. He was surprised. He had seen Aiba as a fox before but his appearance now is already different. He was bigger, whiter, and he carried a new tail behind him. “Be careful!”

The fox opened his mouth and conjured a blue ball of flame. He used it to attack the nogitsune blocking his way from Ohno. The ball did not disappear; it went around the second time, burning the owners of the tails that held the human in place. He used one of his own tails to pull Ohno closer, enveloping him in a protection made by them.

“Are you okay, Aiba-san?” Ohno asked, remembering that he was not able to give his soul to strengthen the kitsune.

“I am near my hoshi no tama. What you gave was enough to send me here.”

“I’ll help you!” Ohno said.

Aiba shook his head. “Just stay here.” He left Ohno at the side of the warehouse before he jumped towards the center of the circle of foxes. He fought against them valiantly, killing nogitsune with the blue flames that he was carrying.

However, Ohno was shocked when the leader, Haruka, conjured a black flame. “Watch out, Aiba!” he warned him. Aiba noticed that fire ball; he was able to avoid the attack.

“Who said I was aiming for you?” she replied. She smirked as the ball of fire went towards the hoshi no tama, destroying it. Blood stained the pure white fur of the kitsune. Aiba fell on the ground in pain. The nogitsune cheered as they started kicking and hurting the poor creature.

“Aiba-san!” Ohno shouted, running towards him. He embraced the fox, putting him inside the shield as well. “Don’t hurt him!” he shouted. Haruka threw another black ball of fire but it just disappeared as it approached the invisible barrier.

The leader of the nogitsune continued to throw balls of fire. Ohno could feel the heat even under the barrier but he did not move. “Oh…no-san… save… your…self…” Aiba said.

“No! I cannot leave you like this! You saved me!” he said. “I won’t leave you!” he hugged him tighter. The barrier was slowly becoming thinner, making the heat of the fire burn Ohno’s back.

“One more shot!” Haruka said in triumph. However, before she could attack again, two balls of light came pelting towards her, hitting her.

“Aiba!” Sho said, running towards the two. He was in his human form; the hoshi no tama he used to attack Haruka was back in his hand.

“Ohno-san!” Jun said, running towards the two also. The hoshi no tama he got from his mother also went back to his hand. He watched as Sho used his ball of light to cure Ohno’s back burns. He stood up and saw Jun holding his own ball of light.

“H…how?” he asked.

“My mother is a kitsune,” Jun said. “By the name of Juri…”

“Juri-sensei?” Sho said, his eyes wide. “Your mother is Juri-sensei?”

Ohno interrupted the two. “Haruka… disappeared,” he said, pointing towards the part of the ground with ashes.

“Jun, Sho, quick!” a voice called out.

They all helped Aiba get to the shrine. “Okaa-san?” Jun said as his mother, a white fox with golden fur around her neck, was standing by the door of the shrine. She transformed into a human.

“Juri-sensei?” Sho also said.

“I’ll take you to Inari Okami. Aiba-san needs her help,” she said. She made some hand movements that created a white portal towards Inari’s palace.

Ohno and Jun were very surprised after they entered the white portal. They found themselves in a large palace that was almost empty, except for the flowering vines that surrounded the walls, and the pedestal where a beautiful woman was standing.

“Inari Okami, please help Aiba!” Sho said. The woman turned around and rushed towards the wounded kitsune.

Nino and Sei arrived through a ball of light, rushing towards the goddess. “Aiba! What happened to him?” Nino asked. Sho tried to hold him back since he was being hysterical.

Ohno looked at Sei, who just stared at him blankly. He decided to speak. “There’s a traitor here!” he said.

Inari, who was already holding the unconscious Aiba in her arms, looked around. “A traitor? Speak, human…”

“She’s a traitor!” he said, pointing at Sei, who looked shocked. 

  



	10. The Ultimate Sacrifice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

>  Ohno Satoshi was an ordinary human being who found a glowing ball by the temple of Inari Okami. It was owned by a kitsune named Aiba. And as a reward, Aiba  would have to grant Ohno's heart's true wish. Would the kitsune be able to grant the wish and gain his ninth tail?

“Take her to the dungeons,” Inari said curtly, not looking at Sei. She proceeded to her room with Aiba in her arms. Two kitsune appeared and bound Sei.

“Inari Okami!” she shouted. “I did not do anything! I’m not a traitor!” However, she disappeared with the two guards.

“Can she heal Aiba?” Ohno asked.

“Idiot! Of course she can. She’s a kami!” Nino said angrily. He was crying silently.

“But without his own hoshi no tama, Inari could only give much,” Juri replied. They all waited outside the room. After many hours, the goddess got out of the room. She did not look happy as she closed the door.

“Sho-sensei, Aiba is in grave danger,” she said. “I cannot do anything.” She went towards her pedestal.

“Can’t you make a new hoshi no tama?” Jun asked out of the blue. Juri pulled him gently to make him sit down.

Inari smiled sadly. “I can’t. Aiba already has his ninth tail. He resisted Ohno’s soul. He did not want any blood sacrifice coming from anyone,” she said. “I’m so sorry.”

“You cannot do anything?” Nino asked, going towards the goddess. He bowed very low, pleading. “Please save him… please save him!” he cried.

Inari shook her head. “I’m sorry, Nino,” she said. “His hoshi no tama is his life, we all know that.”

“This is all your fault!” the kitsune said, lunging towards Ohno. They both fell to the ground. Nino bared his fangs towards him.

“Stop it, Nino,” Inari said. “That will not heal Aiba. Regrets cannot save someone, especially if it’s too late,” she said before she went towards another chamber.

Nino got off from Ohno and went towards the room where Aiba was staying. He was in his human form, pale and unconscious. His upper body was bandaged and Nino could still see a tinge of pink from the blood even with the layers of bandages. “I’m so sorry, Aiba… I’m so sorry,” he repeated like a chant, holding his hand. He kissed it and cried.

“N-nino?” he heard his friend’s voice.

“Aiba?” Nino said, looking at him. “Aiba, are you okay?”

“H-hai,” Aiba replied slowly. “My chest hurts… but I’ll be fine…” he said. He tried to sit up but he just groaned in pain, falling on the bed.

“Don’t force yourself, idiot!” Nino said. “Just rest. We’ll… we’ll surely find a way to cure you.” He stood up and left.

“Nino!”

“Hai?”

“Can I see Ohno-san?” he asked meekly.

Nino’s face fell. “Why would you like to see him? He left you already!”

“No, Nino. I can feel him here. Around here. Somewhere,” he said stubbornly. “Please, Nino. I need to.”

“Fine,” Nino said curtly, closing the paper door with a slam.

Nino looked at Ohno with anger. “He wants to see you,” he said. He watched as Ohno entered the room before he transformed into a bird, flying out of the window.

Juri looked at the window. “I guess, Nino will be the next teacher among your students, Sho,” she said.

Sho shook his head. “There’s a lot of mystery going on inside his heart,” he replied. “I was actually considering Aiba but…” he looked at the door.

“What are you saying?” Jun asked, confused.

Juri smiled. “Not all about us can be read in books,” she said. “The white kitsune, Inari’s kitsune, are chosen among many young ones. They are taught by a teacher, one of the kitsune who are already serving the kami.”

“But no one serves the kami forever. There will be a time when they would have to leave this shrine, the time when their white fur would turn into a different color,” Sho continued. “That time will not be determined by the kami. It will be chosen by the kitsune himself.” He looked at Jun. “There are many reasons why they leave but the point is, they have found their answers to life, that is why they are ready to leave Inari Okami.”

“Does that mean that Sho would be leaving already?” Jun asked.

Juri nodded. “Like how I left to leave him the job,” she said with a nod.

“But why are you leaving?”

“Because I realized that I have found a reason to go to the human world,” Sho said with a smile. “Jun…”

Before Sho could continue speaking, they were stopped when they heard Ohno shout from inside Aiba’s room. They all rushed inside. They saw the human on the floor; it seemed like he was thrown away by something. He was surrounded by a white light. Aiba was standing in front of him, facing the intruder that was standing by the window. Kuro/Haruka was there, throwing her black balls of fire towards Aiba, who was holding his hand up to protect Ohno and himself.

She saw the other kitsune so she conjured a large ball of flame, throwing it to the others. This made it impossible for them to neither see anything nor help Aiba.

“I cannot accept that you have defeated me!” she said as she continued to attack him. Aiba was still holding his right hand up to sustain the barrier.

“Aiba-san!” Ohno shouted with worry as he saw that blood dripped from his already open wound. “Stop it!”

“I… cannot let… you hurt…” he said as he tried to conjure his own fire ball with no avail, “… Ohno-san!”

Ohno stood up and embraced Aiba, putting himself between Kuro and his beloved kitsune. “You have protected me with all your life…” He was trying not to scream in pain as Kuro continued her attack. However, she realized that it was Ohno she was attacking that she momentarily stopped the attack. That gave Aiba the chance to attack him by channeling his remaining energy into a ball. It hit the nogitsune squarely on the chest and she fell out of the window, disappearing in the chamber.

“What happened?” Inari said, entering the room. She saw the debris and with that she interpreted that a nogitsune was able to enter her realm. She narrowed her eyes. “Ohno-san?”

“C-can you cure him?” Aiba asked as he shakily cradled Ohno who was sporting some burns.

Inari nodded. “It’s easier to cure humans, after all. But Aiba, you’re almost draining the remaining soul in you!” she said, touching him lightly. “Sensei, please get him back to bed,” she ordered. She carried Ohno easily out of the room to get healed.

“P-please, Inari Okami… please let him live…” Aiba said.

“You should be more concerned for your health,” Sho said as he patted his student. “The goddess will surely take care of Ohno-san.”

***

_“Ohno-san…” a familiar voice called out._

_“Aiba-san?” he said. He ran around the white space where he was, searching for him. After walking for a few minutes, he found Aiba, in his human form, sitting on the white floor. He held out his hand and motioned Ohno to sit down._

_“Where are we?”_

_“In the place where souls wait to be judged whether they should live or die,” Aiba answered. His voice sounded like a heavenly echo._

_“You mean?”_

_“We could live or we could die,” Aiba answered with a smile. “I doubt I would live, though…”_

_“Don’t say things like that!” Ohno said, alarmed. “You’re going to live!”_

_“A kitsune’s life is within his hoshi no tama. Mine got destroyed already. The only option was a human sacrifice but I… I can’t sacrifice your life, Ohno-san. I am not worthy.”_

_“But I was supposed to give it to you willingly!” Ohno replied. “You’re very kind. You deserve to continue living.”_

_The kitsune just shook his head. “Let us be realistic, Ohno-san. You have more chances of living!” he said with a smile. “And…” he edged nearer, embracing the human. “I have never embraced anyone before.” He closed his eyes as he let some tears fall down. He did not want Ohno to see them._

_“You feel so warm,” Ohno said as he smiled. He stroked the pure white fur of the kitsune. Aiba let go of his friend and smiled at him. “What’s going to happen to us now?”_

_“Anything can happen,” Aiba said. “I was afraid of the things that can happen to me but now, I’m certain of everything.” He touched the mark that he had made on the human’s chest. “They say that the fox mark is an ugly, cursed thing,” he said as he touched it lightly._

_“I find it beautiful,” Ohno replied. “It’s like a symbol.”_

_Aiba nodded happily. “Sou ka. Like a symbol of love, ne?”_

_“L-love…?”_

_He edged nearer and gave a soft kiss on Ohno’s lips. “Goodbye, Ohno-san,” he whispered._

Ohno woke up in Inari’s chambers. The kami was looking at him. She was a bit surprised but she did not smile. “Okaerinasai, Ohno-san.”

“Where’s Aiba-san?” he asked, standing up from the bed. He went towards the door.

“I’m afraid he doesn’t have any life left within him,” she said in a soft and sad voice. “I’m really sorry.”

“I need to see him!” Ohno said. He did not care anymore that he was shouting at a goddess. “I want to see him!”

She shook her head. “You have to go back,” she said in a final voice. “You now have a fox mark, which means the nogitsune will never pursue you if they want your heart. It is still as pure but nogitsune hated something that was already claimed by a kitsune.” She conjured a white ball out of nowhere and pushed it towards Ohno. The light went inside his chest and he felt faint and warm. He disappeared.

***

That night, even though he felt weak, Aiba did not sleep. He tried to get up but he was unable to do so. He was surprised when a bird went inside his room and landed on his shoulder. “Nino-kun?” he whispered.

The bird transformed into Nino’s human form. He immediately held his friend’s hand. “Aiba-chan…” He cried. “I’m so sorry… I’m so sorry…”

“I understand…” Aiba replied. “I knew it all along…”

“You… knew?” he said.

Aiba nodded weakly. “Transformations… you’re the only one who can do that perfectly,” he said. “I doubted. I could not understand why… why you are pushed to do those things.” He looked worried. “Were you cursed by a nogitsune?”

“N-no…” Nino admitted. “I… I was jealous…” he said in a small voice. “I… I told Kuro about the presence of a human with a pure heart, the secret all kitsune existing in the Ningenkai tried to keep. I let a nogitsune enter the shrine so that he could attack Sho-sensei and make you return here! I… I disguised as Ohno to tell you that he doesn’t need you. I made Sei take the blame…” he started to weep again. “I am such a horrible creature, Aiba… I don’t even deserve to live anymore!”

Aiba mustered his remaining strength to embrace his best friend. “Stop crying, Nino.”

“You should hate me. Everything’s my fault. You… you’re going to die because of my selfishness!” he said. However, the screaming inside his heart slowed down as Aiba patted his back.

“Shhh… it’s okay. I will keep this secret, Nino-kun. But you need to change for the better,” he said. “I don’t want to see you like this. You’re very important to me. You have been here ever since. Don’t think that I will leave you entirely.”

“You don’t deserve to die, Aiba,” he said. “You don’t…” He pulled away from the embrace and helped Aiba back to the bed. “It’s better for me to die than to be forever guilty about your death…” He removed his hoshi no tama and handed it to Aiba.

“I can’t accept this…”

“No. you will,” Nino said seriously. The ball became big. He pushed the ball of light towards Aiba.

“I won’t accept your hoshi no tama! I will resist it! You can’t do this, Nino!”

“I will.” Nino smiled at him. “Now, I will be with you forever…” The room became very bright as the hoshi no tama shone. The ball went inside Aiba’s chest, causing him to become a fox. He fainted.

Inari Okami, her back leaning on the door of Aiba’s room, sighed sadly. “Nino-kun… You are forgiven. You might have been clouded by jealousy, but your love, your heart, it is as pure as crystal.” She proceeded to the prison to release Sei herself. 

  



	11. The Kami's Gift

**Summary for the Chapter:**

>  Ohno Satoshi was an ordinary human being who found a glowing ball by the temple of Inari Okami. It was owned by a kitsune named Aiba. And as a reward, Aiba  would have to grant Ohno's heart's true wish. Would the kitsune be able to grant the wish and gain his ninth tail?

Ohno woke up on the soft grass of the shrine. He sat up and touched his chest. He could feel the fox mark burning slightly. “Aiba-san…” he whispered.

He returned to his apartment silently, his steps heavy. He opened his window, still hoping that a fox would suddenly leap inside. He really longed for Aiba. As he sat on his futon, he noticed something white and glittery on the floor. He picked one of them: they were like white, pearly shards.

“Aiba-san?” he called out but no one replied.

***

_“Nino-kun,” a voice called out like an echo. He sat up and saw that he was in a white place. Inari was standing in front of him, wearing pure white kimono._

_“Inari… Okami…” he looked around. “Where am I?”_

_“In a gate where the four worlds meet,” she said._

_“Am I going to Meikai (hell)?” Nino asked._

_Inari smiled as she shook his head. “Though I really didn’t like what you have done, Nino.” She patted his head. “Love can be very dangerous.”_

_“I’m sorry,” he apologized. “I wanted Aiba to be always with me…” He sighed. “I became so selfish.”_

_“Yes, you have,” the kami said. “I’ll be honest with you,” she started. “Even though everyone said that Nino-kun has a dark heart, I believed otherwise.” She knelt down in front of him and smiled kindly. “That is because you are willing to sacrifice yourself for love. No one has ever given his own hoshi no tama to another kitsune. The star ball usually resists a new body. But yours became one with Aiba’s heart.” She stood up. “That is what pure love is.”_

_“He wouldn’t be like that if not for my treachery,” Nino said, not appreciating the efforts he had done as said by the goddess. “I just wanted Aiba to be mine… I became so evil just because of that. How can you call it pure love?”_

_“Nino, Nino, can’t you see? You own Aiba’s heart. Your heart is what makes him live as of this moment. You own him not through vain love but through pure love,” Inari explained. “Ever since I took you and Aiba in, I have said that you two are fated to be together. Maybe not by the love that humans know. Maybe not in this lifetime. But definitely. And now I will give you a choice.”_

_“Choice?”_

_Inari opened two portals: one blue and one pink. “The blue portal leads you back to Ningenkai. The pink will lead you to Reikai (heaven).” She smiled. “Choose wisely, dear Nino.”_

_“What will happen if I choose Ningenkai?” the kitsune asked._

_“Well, anything can happen,” she shrugged. “But destiny will surely take you there. This is goodbye, Nino. You are no longer my kitsune but I will surely remember you as the kitsune who gave pure love to someone.” She walked away and disappeared._

_Nino looked at the two glowing portals. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and stepped inside his chosen portal._

***

Ohno gave his letter to Jun. “I’m going to resign.”

“Why?” Jun asked. His face had been brighter ever since Sho returned with him in the Ningenkai. “Don’t you like working here anymore?”

“It’s not that, Jun-san,” Ohno explained. “I have decided to go back to Inari Okami’s shrine to be a keeper.”

“I see. You used to live there, ne?”

The subordinate nodded. “That place carried a lot of memories and I am also thankful that the kami brought Aiba to me. She also saved my life. I have to repay her by taking care of her shrine.”

“If that’s the case, I have no right to stop you,” the boss said.

“How is Sho-sensei?” Ohno asked curiously.

“His fur turned to golden brown. It’s very beautiful,” Jun commented. “He decided to stay by the shrine, teaching children about good things. He stays with me, though.”

“That’s nice,” Ohno smiled sadly.

“I’m sorry about Aiba,” his friend said.

“He sacrificed his life for me,” Ohno said. “But I think he will feel sad if I would just sulk all day.” He went towards the door. “See you, Jun-san.”

“Yes. I’ll definitely visit the shrine often,” Jun said with a smirk. “After all, the kami is real.”

***

Ohno resumed his duties as a shrine keeper. He wore a brown yukata as he swept the open space in front of the shrine. He caught a glimpse of Sho, who was sitting on his favorite porch, children around him waiting eagerly for his kitsune stories. They smiled at each other before the shrine keeper went to another spot to sweep.

“Ohayou gozaimasu,” a voice greeted. When he turned around, he saw a beautiful woman with long hair that had streaks of white, wearing a very flowery kimono. “Ohno-san, can’t you recognize me?”

“W-who are you?” he asked, a bit scared.

“I’m Sei,” she said with a small smile.

“Sei-san!” He immediately bowed. “Sorry for getting you into trouble the last time.”

“No problem,” she said. “I don’t keep grudges. Besides, humans really believe what they see, right?” Both of them were silent for a quite a while. “You must remember and understand, though, that even the things we see could be lies.” She closed her eyes. “I don’t have the same ability as Sho-sensei but I could feel that your heart still isn’t in peace.”

“Eh?”

“It is Aiba-chan, right?” she asked.

“Ah… yes,” he admitted. “I still cannot accept the fact that he’s gone… and it’s my fault…”

“It’s not, Ohno-san!” another familiar voice said. The human’s eyes widened as he saw Aiba standing behind Sei. “I’m perfectly fine!”

“Aiba-san?” the man dropped his broom and ran towards the kitsune, embracing him tight. His fox mark responded to the touch, warming up, giving him a wonderful feeling. “Sei-san, is this true?”

“Well, I mentioned not believing in what you see earlier, right? However, Aiba-chan is really here,” she laughed. “I guess I have no use here anymore,” Sei interrupted. “I must attend to my duties.”

“Hai. Arigatou gozaimasu, Sei-sensei,” Aiba said. She waved her hand before she disappeared with a flash of light.

Sho also saw that his student was back. He talked to the kids for a moment and ran towards Aiba. “Aiba-chan!” he said, hugging him. “How?”

“H-how?” Ohno also asked, stuttering because he was crying.

“Nino sacrificed his life. He gave me his hoshi no tama,” Aiba said as he cried too. “I won’t leave you anymore, Ohno-san. Inari Okami gave me her blessings.”

“Nino did?” Sho voiced out.

The kitsune embraced Ohno tight. Afterwards, he leaned towards the shorter man, giving him a soft and loving kiss. “Do you know that a kitsune will only love one person throughout his whole life?”

“Is that true?” Ohno asked as their foreheads touched.

“Well, I’ve been living for 900 years and this is my first and only love,” Aiba said with a giggle. “And, yeah, kitsune do boast of our love. We love like no other.”

“I’m just a human being but I’ll surely love you forever,” Ohno replied before they kissed again.

***

There was a thunderstorm. The couple stayed inside their quarters beside the main shrine, closing all the doors and windows and putting out pails to catch the water coming in the old shack.

Ohno stopped walking when he heard a noise outside.

“What is that?” Ohno said. Aiba stood up from the floor and went out to the door with his love.

“Did you see anything?” Aiba asked.

“Look,” Ohno said, pointing to their doorstep. There was a baby, with pale skin, crying his heart out. They took him and his basket inside and took him to their bedroom, the warmest part of the cabin.

“He’s so cute!” Aiba commented. He took the child in his arms. The baby stopped crying and started to smile while cooing. The kitsune beamed. However, his smile slowly faded away when he saw that the hairs at the nape of the baby were silvery white.

“Nino…”

“Eh?” Ohno asked curiously.

“Let’s keep him,” Aiba said with a smile. “It’s okay, ne, Satoshi?”

Ohno nodded as he grinned. “I agree.”

“You’re a very special child,” the kitsune said. “I’ll call you Nino.” He cradled the baby and whispered, “Okaerinasai…”

_“Your souls are meant to be together. Your love is pure. And as a reward, I will give him to you. You will always have Aiba’s heart…”_

 


End file.
